The Cursed No More
by InfectedLife
Summary: Duo Maxwell is your average college student working late in a seedy bar to pay his tuition. Heero Yuy is unusual even among the unusual. He's the most feared and respected vampire of his kind, but he'll learn that life with Duo around just may be worth it
1. Bloody Scotch

Hey, if you read my other story then you know my writing style and you know I blabber on before every chapter. There's a little violence in this one and a little blood, but nothing too bad. I haven't dropped 'These Boots', I'm just in a rut. I know what I want to write I just can't write it. Anyway this has been bugging me, I was just going to put it up on my site but until I get a little larger of a collection going I think I'll hold off and keep posting here. Ok, end of blabber, go ahead and read if you dare, muahahahaha. No, I was just kidding, don't go, please read.

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The Cursed No More

Bloody Scotch

The full moon rose high above the dark buildings in the cloudless night sky, its ghostly rays stretched and grasped the edge of the cursed streets of the enormous city. Standing atop one of the silvery skyscrapers was a lone dark figure framed in the eerie moonlight. A long jacket floated behind him in the wind and his short dark hair whipped around his sullen face. He surveyed the people in the streets and alleys below him as they carried on with their nightlife, drinking and fighting and inviting in strangers for coffee and sex. He could smell the blood flowing through the city; it was calling to his Hunger. A Hunger that was growing larger every day, it was starting to overcome him. His will to fight it was slipping. He would find himself lost in moments where he wasn't even conscious of himself. The Hunger would consume him, wear him down until it was all that was left inside him, soon it would become him. He had to get away from all these people, the temptation to satisfy his need was too strong.

The black-clad young man took a flying leap off the roof of the glimmering building and landed on a brightly lit one a little distance away, with a speed that made him nothing more than a shadow in the night. He moved like this until he got to the edge of the city where the moonlight brushed his face. It was seedier but at least he wouldn't be noticed. He could blend in relatively well wherever he went, but he got more noticed in public places. Apparently a slender attractive man in tight black clothes attracted a lot of stares on the public streets. In the back of a dark alleyway he jumped down from the loose-shingled roof of a decrepit building and hit solid ground with nothing more than a gentle tap of his heel on the pavement. He stepped out and into the light of the street lamp with an imperceptible squint of his eyes, and spotted an old shack of a bar straight ahead. Well, if he had to quench this overwhelming thirst then he'd rather do it with a bottle of Jack Daniel's. His steps made no noise as he crossed the broken paved street to the dilapidated bar.

He opened the paint stripped door and found the inside of the bar was clean but old. There were a lot of older biker men and young kids trying to slip under the age radar, most had beers in their hands but some had whisky. He walked up to the counter and tapped on the wood. A young man popped up from under the counter, he too seemed to have slipped under the age radar. He was stunning in a pair of tight faded jeans and a black muscle shirt. The boy had long chestnut hair that brushed his thighs just under the curves of his firm ass, of which the short haired man got a good look at when the boy turned to reach for a bottle of beer.

"I'll take a shot of JD. No ice." He told his handsome bartender in a deep husky voice that caused the boy to pause. The braided man looked down at the beer he had grabbed, then switched it for a bottle of JD and a glass. He poured the young patron his drink and couldn't help himself from glancing up at the boy, which was exactly what the darkly clothed man wanted. He had ways of making people think things and do things, just by looking into their eyes. Unfortunately for the young man at the bar he never got the chance to use his little gift because once he looked into the bartender's eyes, the shocking violet that stared back at him stunned him so much his mind froze up. The warm smile the waiter gave him made him almost regret trying to use his talents, even if he just wanted to get a kiss and nothing more. He threw a few bills on the counter to pay for his drink, and took a swallow without even a hint of a grimace.

"Most people 'round here just want a few beers and a fight. What are you lookin' for?" The boy's smooth baritone drifted seductively into the highly sensitive ears of the young bar patron and stirred something inside him. He watched the braided bartender's fluid actions as he took the money and stuffed it into his back pocket with a hypnotic grace. He hadn't felt desire like this for a long time. He always felt the Hunger but that was different, it was a pain deep inside you that made you aware of how weak and dependent you were. Desire though, desire was a sweet torture that went even deeper.

"A good drink." The bartender smiled at the unusual answer, and the young man drank it up greedily, unlike his forgotten Jack Daniel's. He could feel the life energy pulsing through the waiter's veins from the other side of the bar. It was so strong he could taste it, smell it. It was good too, damn good. Heero swirled the amber liquid around in his glass and took a whiff of it to clear his sensitive nose and his mind.

"We've got everything you could want here." Was the waiter's vague and seductive response. The smirk that crept onto the dark haired man's face was nothing short of devilish, but he hid it in his drink. The bartender just busied himself with screwing the lid back on the Jack Daniel's bottle while he looked for the spot he had grabbed it from. He set the bottle back on its shelf with his braid swishing around him as he moved, and turned back to the newest patron of the bar. "What's your name stranger?"

"In this lifetime I'm Heero Yuy, and you are?" Heero asked, his voice dropping just a little, his rolling Japanese accent coming out a little stronger. He tried to fix the boy with his eyes, he definitely wanted to see what was in this young bartender's head. It usually wasn't very hard to do, his eyes were a uniquely dark shade of blue and most people were intrigued by them; drawn to them. This particular waiter however, was proving difficult to ensnare. He wasn't even sure why he wanted this guy to tell him things. Why did he even care what the man's name was, it's not like he was going to see him ever again after he was done with his drink.

"Uh, uh, uh. Never tell your name to a stranger." The bartend admonished in a sarcastic rendition of a third grade teacher. He even shook his finger at Heero, of course all that did was make the short haired boy want to lick and do other things with that finger. The bartender glanced behind him and did a double take. "Oh Shit!" Heero quirked an eyebrow at the sexy bartender's strange actions.

"Alright everybody, last call. After this one you gotta hit the old dusty trail!" Duo shouted so the whole shack could hear. They groaned but took their last swigs, grabbed their jackets, and one by one they headed out the paint chipped door. Behind them they left dirty glasses on old polished wood tables. There weren't many decorations in the place, a few things hung on the wall, some dusty signs that had the different beer logos on them and that damn painting of the dogs playing poker. The acrid smell of cigarette smoke was strong and the air felt heavier, mustier. 'Perfect' Heero thought, with this young beauty all alone maybe he could a little action yet, nothing too bad he just wanted to feel the boy's lips maybe get to touch his hair.

Heero waited until he could catch the boy's eye, that was all he needed. He chugged the last of his drink and set the glass down in front of him. The bartender came to pick it up and Heero got his chance. Just as the boy reached for the glass his eyes darted up to look at the short haired boy. Heero caught the other boy's eyes and let loose just a little of his power. He sent images into the longhaired beauty's mind of their naked, sweaty, writhing bodies. He allowed the boy to see his desires. How he wanted to stroke him, and run his fingers through his hair and kiss him passionately while he held the other boy's bare chest against his and licked wet trails down his neck to his collarbone. He watched as the bartender faltered with the glass almost dropping it in the process. By the looks of the boy's face and the blush on his cheeks that only Heero's eyes could see in the darkness of the bar, the young blue-eyed man was glad that his beauty enjoyed these thoughts.

The long haired boy hopped over the bar counter and began to circle the tables, collecting all the half empty glasses left behind. Heero watched him in rapt fascination, he hadn't been so intrigued by a mortal before. There was something in the way the boy moved with more natural grace than he had ever seen in a human. He bet the guy danced like his life depended on it, and his body could probably move and bend like living water. Heero stored that little observation away for later use. Maybe he would be privileged with seeing that body in action tonight, dancing of course. First things first though, the boy's name. Heero stood up and took a winding path through the tables to stand close to his beauty.

"Do you need any help?" He mentally groaned at the predatory glint in his voice. He could tell the boy had picked up on it too, he saw his shoulders tense and his back straighten. He could feel the boy's blood rushing faster, and his heart beating quicker. The boy was nervous, damn. The smell of the blood in the boy's veins was so overpoweringly strong that he could taste it in his mouth. He could feel something inside him waking, something primal and insatiable. Then suddenly it hit, he blacked out and felt the Hunger pulsing inside him. He couldn't get a straight thought through his head; all he could do was feel the blood pumping through the other boy. He fought with everything he had, his mouth had gone dry and there was a terrible cramping in all of his muscles. He knew he was starving himself to death, but as long as he could restrain it, then he was not going to feed. And he was definitely not going to feed on this boy, he was too full of life.

That was it, the boy was full of what his cursed body needed. A life force so strong he could feel it by just being near him, without even biting the boy first. This was why he was loosing his will to the Hunger, he had gotten to close to the boy, and the increased heart rate really only made things worse for him.

"Thanks pal, but I do it every night so it's no problem." The guy was still focused on picking up those glasses. He wasn't half as flirtatious as he had been behind the bar, but Heero had known then that it was mostly a ploy to get him to keep drinking. It was true, however, that the other boy thought Heero was attractive, he could sense it. But right now Heero could tell that the bartender just wanted him gone. He was a threat to the boy now that the bar was empty and they were alone. Fear, that was all he was ever going to be good for, that's what he was cursed to for all eternity.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." Heero said, and although he apologized in monotone, he sincerely meant it. There was so much about this young man that he wanted to know, but of course he could never get to know this boy. He was not allowed to know or be known by anybody. Solitude was the curse of his kind, because of fear he was forced into secrecy. To be alone was his fate, the curse of his kind. He walked back over to the bar and grabbed the leather coat that he didn't remember taking off, which made him wonder how many times that night had he lost his mind to Hunger, if even for a second, and was not aware of it. Since he wasn't aware of himself when possessed by the Hunger, he often didn't remember what happened during these lapses.

He heard the boy approaching, felt that his heart rate had slowed down to its normal pace. He turned to find the boy behind him, who in turn gave him a nig lopsided grin. Heero just stared at the strange boy that stood before, now even more intrigued by the young man.

"Hey I didn't mean to offend. I've just had a few incidents here when it's late, so I'm kind of cautious." Heero couldn't help it, he sniffed the boy's blood and came to the conclusion that one of these incidents had never been rape, the blood was too pure. Unfortunately the smell of the boy's pure, rich blood nearly sent him into another blackout.

"Yo Duo, I'll lock up tonight. You go ahead and go home." Hollered an older man in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, who had just stepped through a door behind the bar that obviously led to a storage area. Heero didn't have to have his extra sense to know the man wasn't a mortal, he shared his curse, the Vampire curse. The guy wore sunglasses at night, what else could he be but a Rothani. Duo set the glasses in his hands down on the counter and gave the old man a brief thumbs up with a "Thanks Howard," before he jumped up and slid over the countertop and disappeared behind the door the man had just come from.

The strange old man looked at Heero and they both knew that they were looking at vampires. The boy could feel the old man's eyes narrowing even though he couldn't see them. He knew the guy was sizing him up, determining if he was a threat. A few seconds later Duo popped back out of the door carrying a beat up black backpack and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt which made him look a little thicker and meaner. Duo slung his pack onto the counter and hopped right back over heading for the door without even a second glance at Heero. This made the vampire smirk though, he could tell that the boy, Duo, was _trying_ to not look at him. He turned to follow the other boy out the door but was stopped by the older man who had obviously used his unnatural speed to get in front of Heero. But Heero's senses were beyond the everyday vampire, and he was able to follow the old man's movements easily. He could also sense the protective aura the man had for the beautiful long haired boy.

"Don't you touch that boy, I don't care if you are a Dilluvian. You can't just have whatever you want no matter how powerful you are. Because if you do, I won't rest until I've hunted you down and found a way to kill you." Heero could see the man's eyes glowing behind his glasses, which meant he was feeling extreme emotion. He tried to pull it off as anger, but Heero sensed mostly fear flowing in the man's veins.

"You can sense my blood is starved, but I don't intend to feed tonight. Your boy is fine. I was toying with him I admit it, but I never intended him harm." Heero's monotone did not seem to calm the man. The shining pupils behind the sunglasses were suddenly gone meaning the man had closed his eyes. Heero loosened his protective walls and allowed the older man to sense him. It took a few minutes, his psychic power obviously weaker so it took a lot of concentration for him, where as to Heero it came naturally. The man's eye's shot open and Heero knew he had allowed too much access to his thoughts.

"So you plan to kill yourself do you?" The old man looked a little shocked at the boy before him. He could find no remorse in those startling blue eyes, no sorrow or regret. Life held nothing for this boy, but he wasn't really a boy was he. No he was old, the man could sense that he was very, very old. Maybe one of the first vampires, maybe this is how he would feel in a couple more hundred years; a complete indifference to life and death. Is this why he clung to the young bartender so desperately? The boy wasn't truly his son but being around him made the old man feel alive, and he wanted to protect that innocence with every fiber of his undead body. Heero did not respond to his question, he simply moved around the older guy and went to leave the bar. The man watched him leave, he was too stunned at how willing this boy was to give up his own life to make any more threats at him.

Heero stepped out into the brisk night air smelling car exhaust and greasy food, he shrugged his jacket on and began the walk back home not bothering to stick to the shadows. His mind was wrapped up in the boy he had just met, he hadn't been interested enough in something to use his powers in a thousand years. And even then it hadn't been nearly as penetratingly intense as it was for this boy, nor had he been desirous for the little girl. He was more curious about her lack of fear, a vampire's curse was fear yet she seemed immune. That had ended in disaster and he hadn't even really spoken to a mortal since. It seemed that the gods of temptation had chosen him to toy with today, for a few blocks ahead he spotted the haunting young man.

The boy had stopped to wait for the lights of the crosswalk to change, his braid snapped behind him like a whip in the wind. Heero paused, he wasn't positive if he wanted to meet with this boy again. Which intrigued him, he was never unsure of himself. He finally decided that he really couldn't care if the guy was afraid of him. He would never see this boy again and probably wouldn't meet someone as intriguing for another millennia or more, if he survived that long. He walked up next to the boy making as much noise as he could to warn him of his approach. The beauty turned to him, those striking amethyst eyes sparkled in the night-lights of the city. He did his best to look unimposing as he strolled over to where the boy stood.

"Hey." The boy greeted him as he stopped next to him in the light of the street lamp. Heero nodded in acknowledgement, he wasn't good at conversation. Since his curse had destined him to an eternity of solitude it wasn't really a priority of his to get to know people who would just die anyway.

"Cold out tonight don't you think?" The boy was charming, and there was something behind his eyes that told Heero of a hidden intelligence. He had street smarts that few others possessed, a natural instinct about people and real life problem solving.

"Yeah, the wind makes it worse." He said, though he really couldn't feel the cold right now, he hadn't fed in over a month and there wasn't much blood left in his veins to feel cold with. His monotone had frightened the boy a little, his heart had given a quick jump at the emptiness in his voice. It was hard to talk emotionally about something you couldn't feel though, and he hadn't been able to experience much of anything in a long time. He supposed it had made him bitter in the beginning, but now he didn't even feel that. All emotion had been wiped from him over the centuries of solitude. That wasn't completely true now though, tonight he felt desire, curiosity and uncertainty. It was the closest he had come to feeling alive again in a _long_ time.

The lights changed and they walked together across the sidewalk. He could feel the blood pumping faster through Duo's body, the boy was scared he thought that Heero was following him. It was strange that they were heading in the same direction, but a coincidence and nothing more. He wasn't in the mood to get to know someone right now, he was trying to end his pathetic existence he didn't need a hindrance this late in the game. Duo, however, seemed to think that talking would subside his fear and tried yet again to engage in friendly conversation.

"So where you headin'?" The chestnut beauty tried to sound casual, but there was an underlying tone of weariness that Heero could feel as well as hear. Duo wanted an explanation as to why he was following him. He wished the boy would stop being so jumpy though, the increased heart rate made the blood so much easier to smell and feel. It would call to his Hunger and it made it hard to keep himself in control. He was seeing spots in his vision and felt the need numbing his defenses and cramping his muscles especially in his chest. It was spreading, he could feel it in his heart now. He was running so low on blood that each pump was a sharp pain.

"The university downtown, I live in Monaghan Hall." Heero responded with the same lack of affect, but this time the words he spoke seemed to calm the boy down a lot.

"Hey, I go there too. I live in Jackson." He seemed so relieved that Heero was also a college kid, but he was still on his guard just as Heero thought he would be. Those street smarts were incredible, his intuition was almost as unnatural as Heero's. But his blood was pure, so very pure, a vampire had never touched it neither, it seemed, had another human. He was sure the old man, Howard, had seen to that because he had sensed a couple other vampires sitting at the tables in the bar, and he had felt their eyes on both him and Duo. The boy was still talking, Heero tuned out his growing Hunger pains to listen to his beauty speak.

"We're like right next to each other, it's crazy that I've never seen you before. Or hell maybe I have and don't even know it." The boy could chatter on forever, but his voice was smooth and soothing and although listening to mortals prattle on about inconsequential things that only mattered in their narrow, limited world usually bored him, he found he wanted to hear what Duo said, what he thought about, what he cared about. He was intrigued by this young man and there was no denying it anymore, nor ignoring the curiosity was becoming so great. Unfortunately as his interest in Duo grew, so did his Hunger but it was still within his control.

"No, I would remember you if we had ever bumped into each other." He was very serious, and his tone was too. At first Duo had thought it was a cheap come on, but the tone had been so unmistakably sincere that Duo believed him even though his mind had trouble accepting it. Heero sensed the whole debate in his companion. He also felt the boy's heart flutter yet again, but this time it was different, there was no fear in his blood. For all the emotions this young man could feel, he certainly kept himself looking fairly neutral. Not even that, the boy looked like he hadn't a care in the world but Heero could sense that it was quite to the contrary. There was heaviness on this boys mind, a weight on his shoulders yet he hid it so well. His mask was perfect, it was so unsuspecting that behind this jester was a man with instinct and intellect as sharp as a killer's or a soldier's.

"Well I'm sure I'll be seeing you around campus now, pal." Duo flashed him a carefree grin that Heero could swear would disarm any enemy. Heero snorted and shrugged his vampire ears picking up the sound of Duo's head turning to look at him, he felt the boy scrutinizing him. Then the boy laughed, and Heero was confused which fascinated him more because he was never confused. He was over a thousand years old, he had seen it all and nothing really surprised him any more. Except this boy, Duo, he had been able to keep the vampire on his toes all night.

"You're a lot quieter than you had been in the bar, were you trying to get a free drink?" He wasn't sure why he wasn't trying to seduce the boy anymore, he still felt desire for the boy but he wasn't interested in manipulating him. He wanted to get to know the man behind the carefree clown, which pissed him off because now he would have one regret when he finally died.

"Hn. I get tired of playing games." Heero responded in his brusque accented voice. Duo was silent for a little bit, Heero could feel him contemplating his statement. He was trying to decide if there was a hidden meaning behind it, if Heero was still a threat. There was no escalating fear, so Heero assumed that his answer was, perhaps not a normal response, but accepted never the less.

"Yeah, people always play games with each other. It does get old fast, but if I play the game right then I'm not late paying tuition." Duo chuckled but it faded quickly, Heero failed to see the humor in the statement. There it was again, that darkness, that heavy cloud that surrounded the boy. He hid it so well, Heero wanted to know what had happened to give a mortal such deep sorrow that he had never felt in someone that had not been cursed.

"We're here." Heero informed the other boy in his hardened monotone that was the result of years of not bothering to communicate on a normal level with mortals. Duo stopped shocked that they were already at the university. It seemed to have taken no time at all when usually the dark walk home felt like an eternity. Duo turned to face the handsome stranger not sure how to part with the boy. Heero could feel Duo getting nervous his heart fluttering, his blood racing, his palms sweating just a little. The beautiful bartender was debating how to ask him if they could meet again, he was thinking about just slipping him his number. Heero had to hide a smirk when he felt Duo think about them sharing a kiss goodnight. The braided boy pushed that thought away quickly.

"Maybe we could get lunch tomorrow, to make sure we don't accidentally miss each other." Heero said to relieve the boy's nerves, but it only got his beauty more excited, which was both good and bad. He liked that Duo wanted to talk to him more, but the blood was now pumping through his beauty's veins at breakneck speeds and it was calling to him. He could almost feel it rushing through him, taste it as it flowed into his mouth. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was Duo smiling and nodding.

His blue eyes changed, they took on a silvery hue but it was faint because he was so weak right now. He stepped closer to the young man in front of him. He took a deep breath inhaling the scent of the rich life force that flowed through the boy's blood. His fangs protracted just slightly, not noticeable to Duo who was shyly scratching his head and looking around while he tried to think of something to say to the cute stranger. Heero, however, was unaware of his own actions right now. He was trapped in a dark dying part of his mind while the Hunger took control of his body. He was suspended in darkness. It was all he could see, he had no memory, and his thoughts seemed stuck like him in the dark.

Heero's body leaned in just barely touching Duo, he let his head drift down so that his lips just barely grazed the soft skin of Duo's neck. He inhaled the smell of the blood just under the flesh. He could the vein pulsing right beneath his mouth. He felt the flow of blood change directions in the boy's body, he smirked and let out a low chuckle at the other man's enjoyment of their contact. Duo had frozen still in a mixture of fear and pleasure, Heero's lips on his skin were making his mind blank out and the rich vibrating chuckle he felt only worsened his growing situation, soon this would become very embarrassing for him if he didn't get the cute stranger to stop. For some reason though, he became suddenly aware of how cold Heero's body was against his, maybe the shock of the stranger's body against him was wearing off. It was definitely wearing off, and he was very aware that he didn't even know this guy. Duo was scared now, Heero was being so forward, so aggressive. Heero opened his mouth his fangs running a thin trail down Duo's neck, never piercing the skin. He was toying with his prey, which was a mistake for the Hunger to do.

Duo felt his mind going completely blank, he was drowning in a sensual pleasure that he had never known before, but he was so afraid at the same time. He couldn't believe how much his body was responding to this stranger, it was almost unnatural. And then it was gone, he was left lingering in something of an after shock when all of a sudden Heero's body seized up and collapsed in his arms. Duo was shocked that Heero had just passed out on him, had he been drinking all night? He hadn't seemed drunk when they were talking, but some people could hide it well right? That would explain the brazen advances that came out of nowhere.

The bartender, who was used to dragging people out of the bar after fights and had a surprising strength for his thin frame, lifted the unconscious stranger and dragged his limp body up three flights of stairs and down a long hall way until he finally reached the door of his room and was able to balance the boy against the wall while he fumbled around with his keys. He stumbled into his room with his heavy load leaning precariously against him. His blonde roommate turned around and jumped at the site of the lifeless body he was dragging beside him.

"Duo, what happened? Who is this?" The blonde's aquamarine eyes were wide with fear. He had always been a worrier especially when it came to his bartending loud mouth of a roommate. The blonde, Quatre, had already leapt out of his chair and was on the other side of the comatose body trying to help relieve Duo of some of the weight. Together, they hefted him over to the lower bunk, Duo's bed, and hoisted him up so he was lying on his back looking up at Quatre's upper bunk. Well he would be if he hadn't been lying unconscious with his eyes closed. When they had laid him down Quatre took a good look at the boy's face and almost screamed but didn't, he definitely jumped a few feet though.

"What's wrong Q? You look like you've seen a ghost." For Quatre indeed had gone pale and was staring in shock and disbelief at the boy in Duo's bed.

"How could it be, Heero?" Duo looked shocked at his roommate who had just said the name of a stranger he had met in the bar. Could it be possible that sweet little Quatre knew somebody like this? He decided he had to find that out.

"How did you know his name Kat, do you know this guy?" Quatre still stood very still but he slowly nodded his head, he turned to Duo with so much fear and regret in his eyes that Duo was almost sorry for bringing the guy here. Quatre's eyes had always told what he was feeling Duo, however, had mastered his mask so well that even his eyes only told what he wanted them to.

"Duo listen, I want you to go to the bathroom and get a wet washcloth." Duo stayed still for a moment puzzled at his friend's behavior, but he trusted Quatre. So he grabbed his white washcloth and ran down the hall to the bathroom on his floor. While he waited for the water to get warm he thought about the night and decided that this had definitely been the strangest one of his life. He ran the washcloth under the tap and squeezed out the extra into the sink. At a sprint he made it all the way back down the hall and bust into his room at full speed. He stopped frozen at the doorway, more shocked than he had ever been in his life at the scene he saw before him. Sweet, quiet, caring Quatre was holding a knife to his palm and blood was dripping onto the carpet and he was swearing up a storm.

"Shit Heero, you idiot! I don't know if you'll make it through this time." There were a few tears in Quatre's large eyes. "Damn you, you didn't intend to survive did you." Quatre walked over to the bed, blood pouring from his hand. Duo finally gathered himself up enough to make a garbled sort of choke. Quatre stopped and turned to look at hi. Fear and guilt so blatant on his face that Duo wanted to tell him that it was okay, even though he was damn sure that something was very wrong.

"Oh, it's no use keeping it a secret. This is going to take all night and I can't try and help him while I send you out on stupid errands." Quatre set down the knife and turned to face his roommate. "I'm going to tell you something Duo and I want you to promise me you won't freak out." Duo didn't move, he didn't acknowledge Quatre in anyway. He just stood there, staring at the red that was seeping out of Quatre and on to the ground. Quatre decided to plow on anyway.

"Duo, this guy is a vampire and so am I. He's dying though and I have to save him. Duo this man is a very good friend of mine and he's in trouble you have to help me save him." The desperation in Quatre's voice is what finally snapped Duo out of his stupor, but when he processed what had he had been told he really just couldn't wrap his mind around it. This was all just too unbelievable.

"Quatre?" Duo asked with a calm voice, all this information hadn't really settled into his head yet. Not that he would have believed any of it anyway.

"Yes Duo?" Quatre was surprised by his friend's relaxed composure, he was sure the young man would have freaked out and told him he was insane.

"Quatre, I'm not sure if any one told you when you were a kid, but vampires aren't real. They don't actually exist." Duo was still standing in the doorway, he realized this and stepped in and closed the door. He did not, however, step any closer to his crazy roommate and the strange attractive man in his bed.

"Look Duo, I know your strong, could you just watch him while I call Trowa." Duo was so confused. What did Trowa have to do with all this? Why did you need to be strong just to keep your eye on a man in a coma? This was so not Duo's night, he could feel it. His roommate and best friend was a nut job and so was his roommate's boyfriend, and to top it off there was an equally crazy and unconscious man lying in his bed that he now had to keep an eye on. Wait that wasn't the best part, he still found himself attracted to the knocked out loon.

A little bit of reality hit him and to tell the truth he was damn scared now, but he didn't let it show, now was not the time to show any weakness. He looked down at his hand and the dripping washcloth he had forgotten about still dangling in his grip. He walked over to the lifeless boy and placed the damp cloth on his forehead, not sure what good it was going to do but he just felt like he had to do something or he was going to loose his mind with all the questions he had. He looked around the room for something to occupy his mind with. Quatre had gone into their little study room and was whispering on the phone, he looked at the desk next to him and saw that Quatre had set his dirty knife on the edge of it. He grabbed another washcloth from his shelf and picked up the pocketknife. He wiped it as clean as he could get it, then just kept on wiping while he stared at the face of the man who in one night had turned his world upside down.

He was strikingly good looking, probably the best looking man Duo had ever seen, but he was still pissed at him for ruining his life. Now he would have to tell the school that his roommate was crazy. Quatre would get kicked out and he would lose his best friend. This just sucked, Duo really couldn't think of anything better to describe his night.

"Why do all the good looking one's have something wrong with them?" Duo asked to the air, and jumped when he saw movement coming from the bed out of the corner of his eye. He looked over at the supposedly unconscious inhabitant of his bunk, the guy didn't look like he moved a millimeter. Duo got up and leaned in over the limp form, he reached for the washcloth. It probably wasn't doing any good anyway but at least getting it warm again would give him something to do. Duo took the washcloth off the boy's forehead, a few wet strands of hair coming with it. He knew he was being stupid but the guy was gorgeous. And before he had found out that everyone around him thought they were vampires, the stranger had seemed pretty nice too, if not a little reserved. Duo ran his fingers along the brow of the young man, brushing away the stray hairs he found there. He was just about to give in to the urge to run his fingers through that wild silky hair when the unconscious boy beneath him jerked. It scared Duo half to death and the boy jumped a foot in the air, hitting his head on the top bunk and dropping Quatre's knife that he had still been holding.

"Oh shit." He swore when he saw the red liquid on the knife's blade and the streak across Heero's arm. There wasn't a lot of blood but it still made the poor boy panic. He tried to pick the knife up off the bed, but was so jittery from Heero's sudden convulsion that he only succeeded in dropping it again. For some reason, probably that his brain was still frozen in fear and his fight or flight response was on overdrive, he found himself functioning on pure instinct. So instead of letting the knife hit the ground, instinct told him that if something was falling you should catch it. When he caught it, he did so by pinching the blade but his pointer finger slipped and got jabbed by the knife's point.

"Damn." He swore again and jammed the injured finger in his mouth to suck the wound, an old habit from childhood. When he realized what he was doing he ripped the finger out of his mouth as fast as he could and grabbed the cloth he had used to clean the knife and spit in it. Quatre came running out of the other room at the sound of Duo's cussing and saw the braided boy holding a bloody knife and spitting into a bloody washcloth.

"Duo! What the Hell happened." Quatre ran over to him and stared at the knife before taking it out of the boy's hands. It wasn't his blood he smelled on the blade. It was Heero's. Had Heero tried to attack Duo and the boy had defended himself. He looked over to Heero to see where he had been wounded. He saw the small cut on his arm was already healing, though it was taking much longer than it usually did. A tribute to how weak the boy was right now. Duo watched wide-eyed as Heero's arm began to visibly heal itself, and that definitely wasn't natural.

Heero struggled against his dark confines. He knew that if he didn't get out, then Hunger would use his body to get what it wanted. He pulled with all his might, his muscles straining against the blackness that held him tight. His body sagged in his shadowy shackles and he hung there for what seemed like an eternity, until a small light broke through the heavy, oppressing darkness. It started out as a small pinpoint, but grew to a bright violet beacon that began to fill the darkness around him. It was a life force, which meant someone's blood had mixed with his own. It was far away though, and out of his reach, if he tried hard enough maybe he could break free and get to it. Suddenly something moved next to him, a large dark shadow was racing for the light. It was Hunger, he knew it was, and he knew he had to beat it there or Hunger would be able to claim who ever this poor soul was.

He struggled with everything he had, his muscles bulging as he ripped free inch by inch from his black prison. The second he felt his body break free he sprinted off at full speed to beat Hunger to the light. He was fast, and was quickly barring down on the dark wraith in front of him. He was going to do it, he was going to beat Hunger even if it meant his death. No… he wasn't. The light suddenly grew again and it hit Hunger first evaporating him into it. Heero screamed, but it didn't matter. Once again he was being sucked back into the darkness, not allowed to go near the violet light.

Duo's mouth dropped in a silent scream as Heero's body rose unnaturally from the bed. The dark haired boy sat still for a moment, before he turned his shinning blue eyes on Duo and bore holes into him with his stare. Duo backed silently away as Quatre rushed forward to hold Heero down. They began to struggle with each other on Duo's bunk. Duo was so lost, he thought Quatre had said he was friends with this guy and now they were fighting. Heero's cold burning eyes stayed fixed on the braided boy as he struggled in his weakened state against the blonde restraining him. Duo shuttered at the deep growls the boy was making as he tried to break free from Quatre's grasp, despite how scared he was he couldn't help himself from thinking what the boy might sound like in the throws of passion. In fact he couldn't get the lustful images out of his mind, he felt himself being drawn to the thrashing boy on his bed by the same strong sexual desire that had possessed him outside. It felt like his mind was being fed these images and there was no button to push to make it stop.

"Duo! Is there any possibility that his blood could be flowing inside you right now!" Quatre yelled as he pushed Heero's jerking form down into the mattress, as the crazed vampire tried to bite and slash his way out of young blonde's unshakable grip. Duo was struck dumb with fear and confusion. The question didn't make any sense, what did he mean 'flowing inside him?" Did he mean that their blood had just somehow got mixed or that they had had sex or something? Nothing made sense, Quatre wouldn't ask something like that, but something must have happened because this boy seemed to have it in for him. Those cold eyes were devouring his soul. His body actually felt colder, like the heat was being sucked from him.

"I don't know, maybe from the knife but not a lot." Duo watched Quatre's face twist into horror at this news. The blonde doubled his efforts to keep the boy at bay, but it seemed that even in his weakened state Heero was too much for anyone to handle. 'Damn you Heero, damn you.' Quatre thought over and over again as he felt his strength slipping away from him.

"This can't be happening. Duo listen to me, if you start to feel strange I need you to tell me!" The boy was loosing the battle against the stranger, Duo could tell. He went over offering to help Quatre, but his roommate yelled at him to stay as far away as he could. It was true too, that when he had got even a little closer Heero's lashing out to get free seemed to triple. His eyes even looked like they glowed brighter, and he growled at Duo revealing a pair of large sparkling white fangs. 'People weren't supposed to have fangs,' Duo thought 'but vampires did.' Could it be true, could Quatre be sane and everything he said true? Duo just didn't know what to think anymore.

He took one last look into those unnatural glowing eyes, and that was when the pain started. At first it was just an aching burn in his muscles, but it quickly escalated to a sharp ripping pain that shot up and down his body. He screamed at the incredible, horrible agony that slashed through him like a dull saw slicing through his insides. Quatre whipped around, almost forgetting his hold on Heero who had began to struggle harder when Duo screamed.

"Duo!" Quatre yelled, but it was drowned out when the braided boy screamed again as another wave of unbearable pain tore his body in half.

"It feels like someone's trying to… twist all my muscles… and tear them apart at the same time… while shoving a giant… fish hook through them." He managed to get out between sobbing pants and silent moans of anguish. He collapsed against the wall furthest away from the bed and grabbed his stomach in pain as he groaned through now more frequent waves of torture.

"Shit!" Quatre swore, and he finally lost his control over Heero, who threw him aside and jumped to the floor in one swift motion. He walked so smoothly that he seemed to glide across the floor to where Duo lay in too much pain to make a run for it. The braided man tried to get up but only succeeded in stumbling a little before the pain doubled him over and he was left huddling on the ground. Heero swooped down on him and drew a line down the curvature of Duo's neck, causing the hunched over boy to shutter despite himself. Wherever Heero touched him, it seemed the pain would ease and be replaced by pleasure. Heero smirked and lowered his head for the strike, his fangs protruding and almost glowing in the dimly lit dorm room. Quatre struggled to get up, but Heero had managed to sum up enough of his power to put a paralyzing curse in his touch.

Just as Heero was about to sink his fangs in, the door to their room burst open and a tall young man with odd light brown hair burst in at full speed and tackled the crazed vampire. Duo recognized it as Trowa, Quatre's boyfriend since before Duo had even known them, who was pinning Heero to the carpeted dorm floor. Unfortunately for Duo, the pain was only growing and now he found himself slipping out of consciousness. Even when he was conscious though his vision was blurred with dark spots. The weak hex had worn off of Quatre and he now raced over to Duo and put a comforting arm around his friend, but his eyes were anything but a comfort, they looked so sad.

"Trowa." He said loudly, to be heard over Heero's snarling and fighting. "We have to let him do it." The cinnamon haired boy whipped around and stared at his blonde lover as though he were from another planet.

"What are you talking about Quatre?" He sounded calm but there was the slightest hint of fear and disbelief in his voice.

"Duo has drank, don't ask me how it's not important now. He will die soon unless we let Heero finish the circle." Duo choked at the mention of his own eminent death. He wanted to ask what all this meant but there too much pain to try to form words, they all just came out as groans of agony. Trowa was still for a moment, even Heero seemed to know what was going on he barely struggled at all against the tall boy. Finally Trowa nodded and let go of Heero's wrists. Duo freaked out, they were going to let this madman have him? Some friends they were.

"Don't worry Duo, both Trowa and I will stay right here to make sure Heero doesn't go to far." Quatre hugged him tightly. Was that supposed to reassure him, it took both of them to keep him off now and the guy was supposed to be near death. Duo really didn't like his odds for survival, and he didn't even know what they were going to let the guy do to him. The pain was too great to fight though, so he had no choice but to accept the fate given to him by his best friends.

Trowa stood up off of Heero, and the dark haired vampire slowly got up and walked over to sit next to Duo. Trowa came over and stood behind Heero, and Quatre stayed on Duo's other side. Heero was gentle, his hand brushed away stray hairs at the nape of Duo's neck. He leaned down slowly, giving Duo time to prepare himself for what was coming. He kissed Duo's neck allowing his tongue to swipe across the flesh beneath his lips. He did this for a while, lapping at a spot on Duo's neck and placing tender kisses there. Duo was loosing the battle against the desire Heero's ministrations caused him, he felt a sharp pinprick like the one he felt when he had jabbed himself on the knife. The pain was nothing compared to what he was feeling at the moment in the rest of his body. It didn't hurt that much anyway. Like getting your ear pierced, the pain was gone so quick you didn't even have time to really feel it. But this pain got replaced with a more sensual and intimate pleasure than he had ever felt before.

Heero had given up and sagged in the black chains that held him a captive in his own mind, when something touched his foot and it felt warm and safe. He opened his eyes and watched as the violet light crept slowly up him, warming his frozen body. He welcomed it, allowed it to claim him. He was able to feel again, he could feel warmth and he smelled something, like a cologne but it wasn't his. He was coming back to life, he had senses again. He could feel himself sitting on something solid, but he was leaning against something firmly soft and warm. The light was coming from whatever this object was. He could taste, there was something warm and sweet and bitter in his mouth. It was blood, he was collecting his thoughts and he could recognize the taste of blood. But this was pure and rich, like nothing he had ever tasted before.

Then it all came to smashing into him like a brick wall. Shit! He was feeding, this was blood and he was feeding off someone. He ripped himself away as fast as he could. He could see the room swirl into focus around him, there were people but it was all hazy.

Duo just lay there, he felt tired but all the pain had left him as soon as Heero had done whatever he had done to him. He was sure this was how it felt post orgasm, he didn't know for sure but this had to be it. Except for how tired he was, everything else on him seemed to be in better shape than it had ever been before. He felt incredibly strong, his hearing seemed better, and his vision was sharper, even the dark didn't seem so well…dark. He looked around the room and could see the short haired stranger struggling to prop himself up off the ground. Trowa was standing over him and it looked like he was telling the boy something. He could feel Quatre holding him and rubbing his arm in comforting circles.

"Quatre, what just happened?" Heero looked up at Duo when he heard the boy speak.

"I think I'd like to know that too. Why am I not dead?" He sounded pissed. Heero managed to sit up all the way and found himself looking into a pair of confused violet eyes. "I remember you, I just met you." Heero looked around at everyone, Quatre and Trowa weren't unusual, but why was this guy hanging out with his friends, and how did he get here? Questions flew through his mind, and as always, it was Quatre who came to his rescue. He heard the blonde empath's soft voice interrupting his thoughts, and he knew Trowa could hear it too. Quatre was able to pick up on his confused emotions, but Heero was the only one who could actually read and send thoughts. Trowa, on the other hand, was connected to Quatre and they were able to communicate at all times with each other telepathically.

'Hold on Heero.' Quatre pleaded with him in his mind. 'He's more frightened than you are, we need to answer his questions first.' Heero turned back to Duo who looked like he was torn between passing out right there and screaming at someone for not telling him what was going on.

"Duo." The braided boy's head snapped in Heero's direction at the sound of his name on the stranger's lips. His eyes narrowed and the vampire could sense fear and resentment rolling off of him. "Quatre is trustworthy, he will explain what has happened." He said this a lot more tersely than he had planned, and it came out sounding like he was frustrated or annoyed by the boy.

"I know I can trust Q, it's you I'm not sure about." Duo ground out dangerously, he did not like being cornered and he really didn't like not having all the information. It made escaping harder, and if there was one thing he was good at, it was running. Heero paused, something didn't seem right to him, then it struck him. Nicknames?

"Do you know Quatre and Trowa?" Duo seemed puzzled by the harmless question. He analyzed it for any hidden meaning or possible vulnerabilities he would be giving away if he answered.

"Yeah, and Q seems to know you too, which is the only reason I'm putting up with this nonsense." Duo looked like he was going to punch the next thing that came near him, he was so angry and confused. "But I'm getting tired, so if _somebody_ would _please_ explain what the hell is going on, maybe I wouldn't feel like I should be putting in a roommate transfer form." Duo whipped around on Quatre, who sat quietly next to him unsure of how to start his explanation.

"Duo it's just really hard to explain without you thinking I'm nuts." Duo let out a barking laugh, but it was a cruelly sarcastic one.

"I already do Kat, you're all off your rockers. Normally I don't mind crazy people, I'm a little crazy myself, but this is going way too far." Quatre just shook his head, this had already gone bad and he hadn't even started the explanation.

"This is stupid, we don't need to soften the blow. We just need to tell him what's going on." Duo could have kissed Heero for being so blunt, that's what he wanted, the facts and as many as he could get. He loved Quatre, but right now he didn't want the fluff, he just wanted to know why this night had gone so horribly wrong. And damn it, it was his Friday night too.

"Duo, we're vampires. Trowa's not, but he knows we are. I've known Quatre for four hundred and thirty seven years. And before you say 'there's no such thing as vampires' like they all do, I'll tell you that right now I'm looking at you and I see proof otherwise." Quatre sighed and shook his head.

"Way to lay it all out there Heero. Now he's gonna' have a nervous breakdown or something." Heero finally managed to stand up straight with a little help from Trowa.

"I am not. I'm gonna' call psychiatrics on you all." Duo said with a groan as he started to struggle to get up, but he didn't make even half as far as Heero before he slid back down the wall into a heap on the floor.

"Before you do that, I suggest you do take a look in the mirror." It was Trowa's deep calm voice this time. There was just something about Trowa, a mysterious wisdom that made you not even think to argue with him. Quatre helped Duo up and they limped together over to the mirror that sat on top of Duo's dresser and balanced against the wall. Duo propped his body against the dresser and leaned in closer to the mirror. He didn't see anything, what were they talking about? It was official now, they had lost their minds and were suffering from mass hallucinations. Then something at the base of his neck caught his eye, and Quatre brushed away the hair that had fallen out of the braid during all the activities of the night.

Duo couldn't help it, he gasped at the two pinpricks in his neck, there was a little blood still smeared around them. He whipped around and had no idea how he hadn't noticed the thin trail of red on Heero's chin. Heero looked at him and new immediately where his gaze was, he wiped his hand across his chin and saw the red streak when he drew it away. There it was again, that damn guilt he felt every time he bit someone, wait he had bit Duo. Oh no, not this one, he had so much life in him why did it have to be this one. That was all he was ever going to be good for, destroying this world one innocent life at a time.

Duo stayed frozen in front of the mirror, he was sure that if he looked at it long enough he would realize that he was just being sucked into their mass hallucination and it would just fade away. Quatre had backed away trying to give him space and air, all he really felt like doing was making a run for it and never coming back. Unfortunately all his stuff was here and he still didn't know what was going to happen to him. He felt Quatre coming back over to him and placing his hands on his shoulders. He hadn't realized he had closed his eyes, or that he was squeezing them so tightly shut. The hands on him felt much stronger though and the smell of Old Spice told him it definitely wasn't Quatre.

He opened his eyes to find himself staring at the reflection of two icy blues ones. Heero's eyes really were an unnaturally dark shade of blue. Damn his traitorous body, he wanted to hit the guy and lean back into his chest at the same time. He was so confused, how was all this possible. He couldn't wrap his mind around anything that Heero had told him. Vampires? It just wasn't possible. But damn that firm grip of Heero's was doing something to him.

"Vampires don't have reflections." Duo said meekly, he was pretty sure he was going into shock. Heero looked away from the mirror and straight at Duo, sending chills down the braided boy's spine. He was trying to bring back some of the old jester in him, anything to make this situation feel less grave. He wanted to run, he wanted to hit Heero and run. He wanted to be able to just close his eyes and have this whole night would turn out to be some weird nightmare. He would wake up in the storeroom of the bar with Howard shaking him and telling him to go home.

"You can hit me if you want." Heero stated coolly. The guy never said more than what was necessary; he was so strange. Why did he want to get hit, most people weren't too eager to get their face smashed in. Heero could pick up on Duo's confusion, but he wasn't about to tell him that getting hit by his victim would make him feel a little better. Something occurred to Duo just then, and he hoped he wasn't right.

"How did you know that? How did you know that I had seriously considered putting my fist in your face just then?" Heero just looked away, nobody responded for a very long time.

"Oh this is pointless, keeping secrets now is stupid. He's going to need to know everything, he's part of it all now." What did Quatre mean 'he was part of it?' He didn't think he wanted to be apart of this, whatever it was. But he didn't have time to think about that Quatre was plowing on and he was finally going to get some answers.

"Duo, Heero's a very old, very special breed of vampire with many powers. Empathy is just one of them, most of the time he can read exact thoughts, sometimes it's just impressions of thoughts or feelings. He can also send thoughts into other people's minds if he can get good eye contact with them." This was too much, he couldn't handle all this right now. He wanted answers, but he wasn't ready right now. Quatre was right, he needed softening up, to be eased into this. He really needed to lie down. Damn, whatever Heero had done to him was going to knock him off his feet for a while.

He wandered over to his bunk where Heero had been laying just a few moments before. He sat down but immediately the exhaustion took over and he fell down onto his pillow.

"He needs to rest now. We'll tell him what he needs to know tomorrow." Heero once again seemed to be reading his mind. 'Not just seemed,' Duo corrected himself. He was reading his mind. Duo's eyes fluttered closed, he didn't fall asleep but he was certainly on the brink of it.

"Why did you let me drink from him? I know you wouldn't make that kind of sacrifice Quatre. And how come it doesn't feel like he's dying?" Duo didn't want to listen in, but he couldn't help it. There they went again, talking about his death. Why did everything have to come back to his death? If he fell asleep right now, would he ever wake up again?

"I'll explain it to you tomorrow, with Duo. Until then I can feel how exhausted you are. Try to rest, I know you very rarely sleep but make an effort to calm a little before you have to face Duo." Duo could not grasp what they meant by any of this, but it sounded like they were going to explain it to him tomorrow. He strained to stay awake to hear any last bit of conversation that he could.

"Heero why are you trying to kill yourself?" Duo heard Quatre ask in a hushed voice, they must have thought he had fallen asleep. Heero would know though, he could probably sense him listening right now.

"Yes I can Duo. Go to sleep." Duo could have sworn there was a little mirth in that monotone. But he didn't bother to worry about it too much. He was already drifting off when he heard the door of their room open and a few goodnights being said. Right before he drifted off he heard the door close again and Quatre whisper goodnight to him. He didn't respond though, he didn't think he could if he had wanted to his head was so messed up. So he slipped into an uneasy sleep filled with a tangled web of unsettling and confusing dreams.

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Ok so that was my venting of creative frustrations. I can now get back to These Boots in peace, this story was stuck in my head and would not let me write anything else until I got it out. So I hope you all enjoyed, new chapter of These Boots will be up by at least this weekend. 


	2. Blood Red Sun

Okay so I couldn't resist at least putting out the ideas for this story. That's pretty much what this chapter is, an information chapter. Sorry but I had to get you all caught up to where my vampires came from. If you see a little full metal influence in here, well it's a kick ass show how could I not. Oh and I saw Constantine this weekend so I have to come up with some way to have some ofthat kind of action in here. Okay this chapter will probably be really boring but it's just the setup and it should get a little more interesting if you think I should continue it. It's up to you people. Not many warnings, a little swearing and some boys having fun with other boy's minds and bodies, but if you didn't see that coming your in the wrong section. Expect warnings to greatly increase after this chapter. Ok I think that's all my babbling for now.

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The Cursed No More

Blood Red Sun

All night Duo had weird dreams, he couldn't remember what any of them were about, only that they were strange and that a pair of silvery blue eyes had haunted him wherever he went. He woke the next morning much earlier than he usually did, the sun hadn't even finished rising yet. He felt so tired, so drained of energy but he couldn't fall back asleep. He lay in his bed listening to the soft snores coming from the bunk above him. He was in a serene state of mind where he could contemplate the events of the night in calm retrospect. He still couldn't believe that the sleeping blonde above him was a blood-sucking creature of the night. Quatre had always had such a sunny disposition, how was it possible that he was the walking undead?

Was he a vampire too now? He didn't feel that much different, but there were little things that he noticed. Like how he could track the movements of the fly outside their window with almost no effort, and how he could smell Heero's cologne left over from last night on his pillow. Just a sharpening of senses and awareness, but it was enough to make him question if he was still considered human. Did he still have a soul? Did Heero have a soul? What was had happened? Or was he crazy enough to have been sucked up into some hysterical delusion? Maybe it was all a practical joke by Quatre to get him back for moving all the blonde's furniture into the bathroom during that crazy month when practical jokes ran rampant in the halls and no one was safe. Except Quatre, nobody seemed to want to cause any grief for sweet little Quatre, so naturally Duo felt he had to step up so the poor boy wouldn't feel left out. Wait, what the hell was he thinking about?

He heard the bunk above him squeak, and he stopped running these questions over and over in his head. Now that Quatre was awake he would finally get all the answers. He watched the pale legs of his roommate flip over the side of the bunk, there was a pause as Quatre prepared himself then he jumped the six feet down to the dorm floor. Duo had always thought this was hilarious because usually Quatre was very considerate of other people, but it seemed in the morning he would always forget that they had other people living underneath them.

"Mornin'." Duo said casually and Quatre nearly jumped back onto his bunk. He obviously thought Duo had been asleep this whole time, which was normally true until close to noon. But today he wanted answers, and the sooner the better.

"Good morning Duo." Quatre smiled at him, but it was wan and full of guilt. Duo didn't like this new Quatre. His roommate was now afraid that if he said anything Duo would get pissed. And he felt completely responsible for what had happened last night, which made him shy around his best friend even more. Duo hated it when people treated him like he was going to break if things got too rough. He was strong, even if he didn't look it, and what has happened can't be changed. Duo was at the point of accepting his fate, now he just wanted to know what that fate was.

It was too late though, Quatre had already grabbed all his shower items and raced out the door silently closing it behind him. Duo stared at the back of their institutionally white door for a few minutes before his grogginess passed enough that he felt like he could walk all the way to his dresser and get a change of clothes. After he had slept through the night in one of his work outfits, which were usually tight and uncomfortable after a few hours let alone an entire night, he felt the first thing he wanted to do that morning was change. He pulled out a pair of fresh boxers and some loose fitting jeans. It took him while to find a shirt, he finally settled on his dark blue "Engineers do it with precision" T-shirt and sat down at his desk to wait for Quatre. After a few minutes of pretending to study but really organizing his interrogation of Quatre inside his head, the phone in the study room rang and he got up to get it without really thinking about it. He picked it up and the deep calm voice that answered him was none other than Trowa Barton.

"Listen Duo, we thought meeting up for breakfast would be a good way to start off what is guaranteed to be a long day." Duo snorted on the other line. Of course it was going to be a long damn day, but food always sounded good. There was a long silent pause as Duo considered how awkward sitting down to eat with three vampires would be, well two and an active participant. But he had been eating every meal with Quatre and hadn't known the difference, so he supposed he could handle it this morning.

"Yeah alright, I'll tell Quatre." Trowa was very surprised at how calm Duo was and how well he seemed to be taking the events of last night. Of course the braided boy had yet to learn the significance of what had passed, and the burden he had inherited. "What time do you want to meet?"

"How about in an hour?" It was still pretty early so they had plenty of time to get to the mess hall and he felt he should give Duo a little time to prepare before he had to face Heero again.

"Fine, we'll see you then." And without another word Duo hung up, leaving Trowa wondering if this was such a good idea.

Duo wandered around the room for a bit, gathering up things for his shower. He decided that he too would go take a shower and would tell Quatre about breakfast when he found him in the stalls. He took his time walking down the hall to the bathroom still busy contemplating what he would say to Heero when he saw him again. Quatre was leaving the bathroom just as Duo walked up to the door, the hesitant smile he gave the braided boy just managed to piss off the already on edge young man even more. Today was not going to be a good day, Duo just knew it.

"Quatre, we're meeting up with the guys for breakfast in an hour." Duo said tersely as he passed Quatre through the doorway and entered the bathroom. He turned back to look at the retreating form of his supposed best friend and could not control himself. "Quatre, if you keep acting like every time I turn around I'm going to hit you, then one of these times I really am going to just to get you to knock it off."

Quatre flinched once, but that was it, then he smiled warmly at his friend. He knew Duo better than anyone else and he recognized the threat as his friend's way of saying that everything would be all right between them no matter what happened. Duo smiled back and entered the bathroom, thanking his lucky star that it was empty. He chose the stall furthest away and locked himself in as quickly as he could, then let out a deep breath willing all his anger and fear to leave him with it. There was a small changing stall in front of the actual shower that was separated by a dirty white plastic shower curtain. He stripped down quickly, eager to get under the hot relaxing spray of water. Surprisingly, once the water hit him, he felt wide-awake and full of energy despite how much earlier it was than his normal wake up. Duo decided to take as quick of a shower as possible since what he really wanted were answers to his thousands of questions more than a good cream rinse. He cranked the knob to damn near as hot as it would go and noticed how loud the water drops rang in his ears when they hit the tile floor, it was like standing next to a waterfall.

It was strange, but ever since Heero had bit him he had felt stronger and more in tune with all of his senses. But what was really weird was that he felt colder, like that aching cold that you felt in your bones but his skin was still warm. Duo thought about the bite while he quickly shampooed and rinsed his hair. He couldn't get it out of his mind. He knew he should have been scared or it should have hurt or something but it had felt good, really good. It was intense and liberating and the way Heero had caressed him while he did it, Duo shuttered. 'Damn it Duo the last thing you need to do is develop feelings for a vampire,' the longhaired boy chided himself and he finished up his shower without another thought about his strange night.

He got redressed and went back to the room where Quatre was waiting for him. He knew he had taken a little longer in there than he had planned but the water had been so relaxing that it took him awhile to drag his body out of the spray. He decided that he would just pull his wet hair into a ponytail instead of trying to separate and braid it. Quatre grabbed his keys and Duo followed him out the door, much happier now that the boy wasn't flinching every time Duo looked at him. They walked the short distance across the grassy campus to the dining hall waving to a few acquaintances from classes they passed by. Duo felt weird seeing people he had just spoken to the day before it felt like two different realities had just tried to mix. There was now this wall between him and his old life that seemed impenetrable. So much had happened in so short a time, his worries from back then seemed so simple, he would give anything to only have to worry about how many hours of studying he could squeeze in after his shift at the bar. What would he do about the bar tonight, maybe he could call in sick just this once.

They walked into the dinning hall the sound of dishes clanking, chairs scraping the floor, and people talking over each other were overwhelming to Duo's sensitive ears. He couldn't remember this place ever being that loud before or at least he had been able to tune it out in the past. Quatre spotted Trowa right away sitting at a table near the back next to one of the huge decorative windows that lined the walls of the dinning hall with a solemn Heero sitting next to him. It was funny, Duo and Quatre had met Trowa for meals a lot but Duo didn't ever remember seeing Heero with him. Quatre waved and he and Duo went to get their breakfast. Usually Duo ate almost everything they offered him, but today he really didn't feel very hungry. He decided to get at least half of his usual breakfast though, if for no other reason than to avoid Quatre's questions about why he wasn't eating. They went and sat down at the oval table Trowa had chosen. Quatre immediately sat next to Trowa, which left Duo two options and he of course chose the seat next to Quatre. He didn't feel comfortable sitting next to the man that had ruined his life, at least not before they got to know each other.

"Heero you certainly have a healthy appetite this morning." Quatre commented when he looked at the blue eyed boy's tray. Heero was quiet for a while and Duo noticed that they had almost the exact same things on their plates. It seemed everyone else was noticing to because their eyes kept darting back and forth between the trays as if they were comparing item by item. Heero frowned and grabbed a piece of fruit before pushing the rest of the tray away. He hated food, he didn't even need it to survive he just ate it occasionally for something to do or to keep up appearances. All it ever did was remind him of how dead he truly was on the inside. Sometimes he was able to pretend that he was normal when the sun was really hot and he could actually feel it but when he tried to do things like normal people, his reality always came crashing back. So he didn't understand why he hadn't been able to resist all these foods, it was almost like he had felt hunger for the first time in years. Was it Duo doing all this to him? Could it be some weird side effect of the bite?"

"So what do we do after this?" Trowa asked calmly, he had always been one to get straight to the point. No one answered right away, Duo hadn't really thought about what they were going to do all he wanted were some answers. He thought he was going to get those answers at breakfast, but now that he thought about it this was a little too public of a place for this weird of a discussion. Though now that he knew he wasn't going to get any information, breakfast seemed a lot less appetizing. He grabbed an orange and began peeling it with his fingernail. Quatre noticed the change in his friend's behavior and appetite but refrained from commenting. He did however finish his cinnamon bun as fast as he could and he noticed Trowa was eating his oatmeal quicker than usual.

"We should probably just go back to our room and discuss things. I don't think anyone is really that hungry." Quatre said and pushed the last of his sweet breakfast away. There was some nodding and a few grunts of agreement from the very subdued group. Quatre knew getting a conversation out of these people would be like pulling teeth until they could get somewhere private and Duo could ask all his questions. He was sure that even Heero had some too, but he doubted that they could answer all those. After all when it came to information about vampires, who better to ask than one of the originals.

They had only been in the dinning hall ten minutes and they were already getting up to leave. It probably would look odd if anybody were paying attention but these were stressed out, hung over, caffeine addicted twenty-year-old kids with a very narrow view of the world. They dropped their plates off and Duo felt horribly guilty that he was wasting all that food but he just didn't feel like eating. Well part of him did but there was this strange part of him that just felt disgusted by food, which frightened him a little because he never refused food. They went back to Quatre's room in silence, the blonde unlocked the door and they all went in. Quatre locked it behind him and they all found spots to sit with Duo and Heero choosing to sit as far away as possible from each other. Heero took the chair from Quatre's desk and Duo grabbed his own, leaving Trowa and Quatre to sit next to each other on Duo's bed. There was a long silence while everyone stared at the floor trying to think of something to say. It was Quatre who finally couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Well Duo there's really only one way to start this. What's your first question, we'll try our best to answer it. All of us." The blonde said sending Heero a poignant look at which the vampire snorted and looked the other way but after a few minutes he nodded his head just slightly. Then it was all eyes on Duo while the boy struggled to collect his thoughts.

"Okay well, I've been feeling really weird lately. Smells and sounds are stronger, I feel stronger, what does that mean?" Duo took a quick glance at Heero but the boy wouldn't look at him and it didn't seem he was going to be answering any questions either.

"I can explain that one." Trowa's calming voice suddenly spoke up. Duo turned to him happy that they weren't all going to be so reluctant with information as Heero.

"As you know I am not a vampire, I am to Quatre what you are now to Heero. What you experience is just a part of the bite, although it usually only lasts a few hours so you should have slept it off last night." Duo just looked even more confused, maybe Trowa wasn't the best at explaining things.

"Here let me." Quatre decided o take over the conversation, he had a feeling he was going to be doing most of the explaining anyway.

"When Heero bites you it's very, well, intimate. Part of him will sort of flow into you and part of you flows into him. Its beyond just blood Duo, there's a transfer between you two of your life forces, your essence. Sometimes you'll see things, sometimes you'll feel things, and almost always you will have a little bit of Heero's power leftover in you." Quatre finished his speech and realized why Trowa was having such a hard time it was very difficult to explain. They had just been going through it with each other for so long that they knew what could happen. Duo on the other hand just kept looking more and more confused.

"So I'm not turning into a vampire then?" Duo's voice was subdued, his anger dissipating now that they were talking things out and there was the possibility that he might eventually understand all this.

"No Duo, you and I are nag'nul." Trowa commented like it was weather.

"Come again?" Duo asked and Quatre smacked Trowa's arm.

"Vampires developed their own language so we could communicate and avoid prosecution. The word Trowa used means something like host but not nearly as derogatory." Quatre tried explaining, but was interrupted by a scoffing sound from Heero's corner of the room.

"I hate that word." Duo's sensitive ears picked up on the low growl in Heero's voice and he tried not to focus on his body's response to it.

"Most vampires do, it makes us sound like blood-thirsty parasites." Quatre said and there was another growl from Heero that Duo had to force himself to ignore.

"Well thanks for the history lesson Q but what does that mean?" Quatre's eyes flashed to Trowa, knowing that the boy could explain it a lot better than he could since he and Duo were on the same side of this world. Surprisingly it was Heero who answered the question, though not exactly satisfactorily.

"It means when I bite you, you won't turn." He said in and agitated voice but the look in his eyes was different. Duo couldn't place it but in that quick glance his way he saw something in Heero's eyes that made it so he couldn't be mad at the boy.

"Turn?" Duo asked even though the answer should have been obvious, but Heero's deep blue eyes had thrown Duo's thoughts off course.

"Into a vampire." Came Heero's frustrated response but Duo got a sense that Heero was angrier with himself than with the braided young man. It was weird but Duo was sure that what he was feeling was really going on in Heero's mind. Was he really able to sense Heero's thoughts and emotions? Heero's eyes flashed to him again as though he could feel Duo in his mind and Duo had to look away from those piercing orbs.

"You're sort of immune to the curse." Quatre explained, though it was just as confusing as Heero's explanation.

"Why? Why won't I turn into a vampire?" Duo asked trying to keep the information flowing and his mind off of the dark haired vampire. Especially since every time he thought about him the guy turned to look at him.

"Because you drank first." Trowa said as if this would clear up everything for Duo.

"Okay…Quatre help." The blonde chuckled despite the situation, he knew this would be a difficult conversation to get through but they were making progress and at least Duo wasn't radiating frustration anymore.

"You see Duo there are a lot of things that can happen when it comes to vampire bites. The vampire can drain you and it kills you, or he could just bite you and not drain you leaving you to die a slow and painful death as the curse deteriorates your insides." Quatre recited like it was something from a textbook.

"Oh is that all." Duo added sarcastically. This new reality he had been sucked into, literally, just kept getting stranger and stranger. Damn it he had to stop thinking about Heero sucking on his neck, and there they were again those deep blue eyes glanced his way.

"I guess it does sound a bit gruesome." Quatre added thoughtfully. 'Yeah,' Duo thought, 'if that was how I had to live for all eternity, well, I guess I could understand Heero's plight to take his own life.' And blue eyes were right back on him, but this time it wasn't a quick glance. Duo stared back into those hypnotizing depths, did he feel hope all of a sudden or something just as sweetly painful.

"So, uhm, yeah where was I? Oh, the vampire can bite you and not drain you then have you bite him creating a circle with curse in which your body is the final resting place so you then become a vampire." Quatre took a breath and even Duo felt like they should take a break or something but his question still hadn't been answered.

"What happened to you, Duo, was the opposite of that. You drank Heero's blood first then he yours, again creating the circle but this time since Heero took it back into himself it's sort of like he saved you. Okay it's hard to explain, but that's how it goes and now this is great because Heero can stop feeling guilty about biting people and stop trying to starve himself to death. Now he can bite you and nothing bad will happen." Quatre smiled and looked around the room, and to his surprise no one else seemed to be as happy about his discovery.

"Hold on, back that conversation up a bit." Duo stared at Quatre like he was from another planet. "I'm somebody's chew toy? I don't remember agreeing to that."

"I'm not going to bite you." Heero's cold stern voice rang out with such finality to it that even Quatre didn't speak…for a second.

"Heero you have to, this is perfect now you don't have to worry about your bite being fatal. Heero whether you like it or not you are bound to him now, and both of you will get cravings no matter how hard you try to fight it. Quatre was pleading with him, Heero knew there were very few in this world that could resist Quatre's pleading for long. Fortunately he was one of them.

"You're wrong Quatre, you get cravings when you enter that pact with someone you love. I don't even know him." Heero barked angrily, Duo wasn't sure why he as hurt by that but he felt like Heero had just tossed him aside like trash. Would Heero really rather die than be connected to him? Was that such a horrible prospect?

"Then why did he survive? Why did it work so well, huh? Is it so hard for you to accept your feelings? Quatre begged and Heero could feel his resolve crumbling but he was pissed off enough that it didn't matter.

"Quatre it's not the time for this, we should be answering Duo's questions" Trowa said, trying to calm his boyfriend down.

"No! I've been trying my best to get Heero to see the good in life and now he has the chance and he's going to let it pass him by because he's so damn stubborn." Quatre angrily tore himself form his boyfriend's grip, hundreds of years of worry and frustration for his best friend finally overwhelming him.

"Stop it Quatre, I will not become some leech!" Heero's usual monotone rose just slightly in his anger but Duo could feel the intense emotion emanating from the blue eyed vampire, there was even a slight silvery gleam to his eyes. Duo knew he was experiencing Heero's emotions when he felt pissed off at Quatre for no reason and angry with himself and the whole world. But it was definitely his own heart that reached out to the boy, because he knew what it was like to feel like a leech. He had been one his whole life and he hated it. Duo wasn't sure what this connection he felt to Heero was but he wanted to help the hurting vampire, he may even be ready to offer his blood even if Heero wasn't ready to accept it.

"No Duo, I won't let you do that." Heero told him firmly. Duo thought about it for a second, but he was sure that he hadn't said any of that out loud and the confused look on Quatre's face confirmed that Heero had been listening in on his thoughts. He knew it, the vampire had been reading his mind the whole time.

"Get out of my head!" Duo hadn't meant to yell but Heero's anger was transferring into him.

"I can't control it so I'll do you one better!" Duo could feel the rage bubbling up inside the dark haired vampire and now it felt directed towards him. That pissed Duo off, how dare Heero get angry with him when he was just about to agree to help the stupid vampire. Heero got up in a rush and stormed out of the dorm room. Duo sat in his chair fuming for a few seconds before he stood up angrily and marched after Heero out the door.

"I'm not done with you yet." Duo muttered under his breath as he left the room and Quatre just looked over to his boyfriend to see if Trowa found this as amusing as he did.

"I think there's something going on between them. They could be really good for each other." Trowa said enigmatically.

"And which part told you that? Was it Heero actually yelling which he never does, Duo's increasing frustration with our little vampire friend, or maybe it was when both of them stormed out of here angry as hell with each other?" Quatre yelled still enraged by Heero's stubbornness. Trowa was a little shocked when Quatre swore but he couldn't help himself from thinking it was cute.

"It was more the fact that I've never seen Heero show any emotion to any one, let alone someone he's known for a day." Quatre sat and thought about his boyfriend's insight. Trowa was right Duo was definitely getting under Heero's skin like nothing ever had. Maybe Duo would turn out to be what they've been waiting for. Maybe he was Heero's chance at happiness.

"You know what else," Quatre said as he thought about the conversation that had just past between his roommate and best friend, "Heero said he couldn't control which thoughts he received from Duo. Heero has always been in complete control of all his power."

"I bet it's scaring him a little." Trowa said with a slight uneasiness to his voice, as though fear and Heero Yuy should never be mentioned in the same sentence. From what Trowa new of Heero, he wasn't sure if the boy even knew what fear felt like and that probably only added to Heero's confusion about the Duo Maxwell situation.

"Why do you think they can read each other's thoughts so clearly when it took us weeks to finally get so we could understand what the other was saying?" Quatre was pouting, he didn't want to but sometimes he couldn't control it. He knew how much he and Trowa were in love so why would the connection between Heero and Duo be stronger when they barely knew each other.

"I don't think it's stronger Quatre, I just think that there is a connection between them and that Heero is a very strong vampire. Whether Heero wants to believe it or not, they had connected on some level before he bit Duo. And I think that since Heero has so much power and it got transferred to Duo during the bite that their abilities are stronger than ours are." Quatre nodded his head. Trowa was right, Heero was a _much_ stronger vampire than he was but Quatre felt sorry for his friend. Becoming such a strong being had come at such a high price and the boy had never even agreed to it in the first place. Quatre and Trowa were the only people on earth that knew Heero's truth. But despite how long they had known Heero, they had only once seen him yell and it wasn't for anything nearly as trivial as the things he was getting worked up over today. Maybe Duo was something really special.

Duo ran down the halls of the dorm, down flights of stairs and out onto the campus grounds where he found Heero Yuy sitting at the far end of the lawn under a large oak tree. He walked up slowly not sure what Heero's reaction to being followed would be, but the boy seemed more subdued than he had been in the room. Duo sat down next to him and there was a long silence before the braided boy finally couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm sorry." Duo said though he wasn't sure if an apology was what Heero needed or a smack upside the head. "I thought I could help."

"You can't, you have no idea what you're getting into." Heero said coldly, Duo could sense Heero was deep in thought or, well, it felt more like memories.

"It sounds like you speak from experience." Duo responded, Heero just shrugged his shoulders never once looking at the violet eyed boy.

"Do you want to know what you're getting into? Do you want to know what I really am?" There was such a darkness in Heero's voice Duo was actually frightened, but it seemed Heero was finally ready to give him some real answers. Heero was so angry that Quatre was right, he did feel a connection to this boy and he felt cravings for him. But that shouldn't be. This pact was not supposed to be entered into unless the people involved had a very strong connection otherwise a thousand things could go wrong. But nothing had gone wrong and now Heero wasn't sure if he would be able to resist Duo. And with the long haired boy almost willingly accepting his fate how would Heero be able to stop himself from becoming what he hated most. A blood sucking leech for all eternity.

"Tell me." Duo said trying to hide any shakiness in his voice.

"I'll show you." Heero said and his voice had taken on a seductive note that Duo found very difficult to ignore. He could feel Heero getting closer to him but his body couldn't move. His mind was overwhelmed with thoughts about how he could trust Heero, open up to Heero, that Heero would never hurt him. Images began rolling through his mind. Heero and he were lying on the dorm bed Heero looked unconscious in the classic vampire pose. When Duo got close the vampire's eyes opened to that silvery blue and Duo paused for a moment before he couldn't resist leaning down and kissing Heero's softly firm lips. It felt amazing when the boy responded, Duo felt himself being pulled on top of Heero by strong but gentle hands. The kiss became passionate as tongues clashed and caressed. Duo could feel Heero's hands roaming over his body eliciting pleasure wherever they touched. They ran up his torso, under his shirt, down his back and all over again. Briefly the thought crossed his mind that the hands were cold before it was replaced by thoughts of how he wanted to give himself to the vampire, anything Heero wanted he could have. Duo arched into Heero's body and moaned when he felt Heero's fingers brush along the skin just above his pants. Then he heard chuckling and could feel Heero leaning next to his throat. The illusion vanished and Duo was back in the park with Heero's mouth pressed to his neck and the vampire was laughing at him. At least Heero didn't seem so tense anymore, but what did he think was funny.

"When you moaned like fifteen people looked over here." Heero spoke into Duo's neck and Duo blushed a nice tomato red. Duo couldn't believe he had moaned out loud, what had Heero done to him?

"Why are you kissing my neck?" Duo asked and if Heero were able to blush he probably would have done so too. He hadn't meant to stay leaning into him like this for so long, but he had been having his own battle with himself that he had been losing horribly. The craving Quatre had been right about was so strong whenever Duo got close to him that he had a hard time resisting biting the boy for just a quick taste.

"I'm not, I was showing you what a vampire is really like. We can get into your head and kill you before you have a chance to defend yourself." Heero spoke in a dark whisper.

"We're creatures of shadow and death and you do not want to be apart of this eternal hell." Duo stared at Heero in confusion it was almost like Heero was warning him. Like he was giving Duo a chance to back out, or maybe this was Heero's way of asking for Duo's help. Duo knew he wouldn't turn his back on the vampire. For some reason he felt like he had known Heero all his life, it probably had something to do with that whole essence exchange during the bite that Quatre was talking about. Whatever it was, he wanted to help the vampire to see that life didn't have to be hell.

"Well you are a little grouchy, but I guess I can deal with that." Duo chuckled, being outside in the light was making him feel better and he felt safe with Heero next to him.

"For eternity?" Heero asked and there was that note of hope in his voice that Duo was sure even Heero was unaware of.

"What do you mean?" Duo asked but he knew the answer would not affect his decision.

"As long as you are bound to me, you are as immortal as I am." Heero spoke and it seemed like he wanted to say more but held himself back. Duo thought about what Heero meant by that.

"Does that mean that if you die, I die as well?" Heero was silent for a long time after Duo's question but finally he nodded his head.

"That is why these pacts are not entered into lightly. Usually the people are in love and want to spend eternity together. They are fully aware of the consequences of what they are doing, because if they're not or if their bond is not as strong as they thought…" Heero paused unsure of how to continue.

"What do you mean if their bond isn't strong?" Duo asked. He wanted to know what the look on Heero's face meant.

"If they don't really love each other or the love is unrequited, or even if one of them just has doubts about eternity together, then things can go horribly wrong during the bonding." Heero's eyes were far away and the look his face brought back memories for Duo. He knew what it felt like to hurt the way Heero was hurting even if he didn't know the reasons behind Heero's pain he could sense it coming from the boy.

"But we didn't have any sort of connection and I feel fine." He wanted to distract Heero from his past and maybe even help him break free from, it had been hard but Duo had been able to put his past behind him.

"I can't explain that one, I guess we just got lucky." Duo choked a little at Heero's choice of words and he could feel Heero trying not to laugh.

"Think you're funny, huh? We need to work on this whole 'being able to read each other's thoughts all the time' situation. And how come I can't read your mind, I can only feel what you're feeling." Duo looked over and couldn't stop himself from staring at the handsome vampire's profile. The boy was beautiful wearing just regular jeans and white button down dress shirt with the sun highlighting his chocolate hair and deep blue eyes. Heero made a quick glance toward Duo trying to make it inconspicuous, but Duo caught it.

"I saw that, you're not even trying to block my thoughts are you?" Heero smirked, he had been trying all morning and failing. But Duo was right that time he hadn't even tried. "And you never answered my question." Duo gracefully changed subjects.

"I think I have an answer for that one." Heero seemed much more relaxed, Duo wasn't sure what had happened but Heero was opening up to him and that made Duo feel pretty good.

"Have you ever taken a physics course?" Heero asked and though Duo didn't understand what the question had to do with anything he nodded his head and Heero continued.

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, or however you want to put it. I have the power to read minds and project thoughts, but I also have the power to block them too. I can, in a sense, hide my thoughts. It's sort of like putting a wall around them, but emotions are in a world of their own. Each one has it's own opposition. Hatred and love, joy and sorrow, I'm pretty good at masking them but blocking them completely just can't be done." Duo was surprised by the length of Heero's response. Maybe Heero had finally accepted his fate with Duo just like Duo had accepted his.

"Well I hope you two aren't having too much fun without us." Quatre's cheerful voice rang across the lawn and he and Trowa came to sit with them under the tree. "Oh this is much better than being crammed inside that stuffy dorm room." He took a deep breath just out of reflex. Duo smiled at his best friend and roommate.

"Hey how come you guys have reflections, and can go out in the sun and stuff like that?" Quatre laughed and even Heero snorted in amusement.

"Don't believe everything you read Duo." Trowa said with the faintest of smiles on his face.

"Well I didn't until you told me vampire's were real." Duo retorted quickly.

"Fair enough." Quatre said still smiling. "Well there is a little truth in those things, you see there are different races of vampires. We sort of classify each other based on strength and types of power. There are seven races in all I think. Most descend from one of the original victims of Dilluvia and then there's the race that's made of those who descended from Dilluvia himself." Quatre said and he looked deep in thought, apparently realizing how dissatisfactory his explanation had been.

"Well you see, the original vampire was called Dilluvia, or well that's what the scientists named him anyway. And he only turned a handful of his victims into vampires before he disappeared. There were seven in all. And with each one he transferred his power into them like Heero did to you only more permanently, he was a very strong vampire after all, had all kinds of incredible powers. Anyway with each victim he learned to hold back some of his power, so as you go down the line the races get weaker." Quatre finished and Duo just stared at him, the vampire race was certainly a confusing one.

"What do you mean scientists?" Duo asked. "I thought you had called it a curse?"

"Believe me it's a curse." Came Heero's dry response.

"Curse is the best word we have to describe it, because really it was a curse that created the vampire. The scientists just created the perfect vessel for the curse." Trowa added. It was obvious they were all trying their best to help Duo understand.

"It really started as a science experiment gone horribly wrong." Quatre continued.

"You see back in arcane times they were five men…"

"Five idiots." Heero interrupted.

"Anyway, this was back during the time when science and sorcery were one and the same. These five were obsessed with finding the secret to immortality." Quatre continued.

"In case you were wondering, they found it." Was Heero's bitterly sarcastic response.

"Duo, have you heard of the philosopher's stone." Quatre asked, and Duo wondered what made Heero so bitter about all this but Quatre seemed fine.

"Yeah I watched Harry Potter." Duo smiled and Quatre just shook his head.

"Well I guess that counts. So you know it magnifies alchemic power and produces an elixir of immortality." Duo looked confused but he half nodded.

"And these five nut jobs got their wrinkly old hands on it." Heero sneered.

"They found out how to create the elixir, but they also discovered that stone only produced enough potion for one person." Quatre continued on, happy that they had found a topic he knew a lot about, though not nearly as much as Heero but the dark haired vampire wasn't much of a talker.

"What they needed was a way to spread immortality as the stone created it." Trowa helped keep Quatre on track knowing that his boyfriend tended to go into lengthy descriptions if knew what he was talking about.

"So they got the bright idea that if they alchemically combined this stone with the heart of a man then the blood it pumped would become instant immortality." Heero's still bitter voice added.

"Which means they would just need chips of the stone to put in their own hearts and they would all be immortal." Quatre explained.

"Of course their too big of cowards to try it out on their own, so they _found_ a test subject." Came Trowa's deep voice.

"Abducted." Was Heero's retort.

"They captured a man off the streets and from then on he was referred to as Dilluvia. They used advanced alchemic techniques to combine a portion of the stone with Dilluvia's heart, creating a living organ that pumped immortality." Quatre continued.

"But there was a side effect." Heero added with so much hatred in his voice, it hurt Duo to hear it.

"The heart could no longer replenish itself since all the blood eventually got transformed into the elixir. So they used a curse they had found in their search for immortality that had never been tested before, it forced the victim to survive by drinking the blood of others. It didn't give immortality though, the person would eventually die of old age but when combined with the immortal heart experiment it was the perfect solution. So the first known vampire was born, Dilluvia." Quatre took a breath, even he got tired if spoke for too long and he had been doing a lot of explaining.

"And from him came all the different races." Duo added, trying to seem like he understood what Quatre was telling him.

"Exactly, and those who descend directly from him are known as Dilluvians. Heero was his first victim." Quatre said and Heero shot him a cold glare. Duo caught the look in Heero's eye and didn't like the fact that he was hiding things. He knew Heero could tell he didn't like it too, there was a hint of guilt when he looked away from Quatre and caught Duo's eye.

"Was I not supposed to say that?" Quatre asked innocently.

"No it's alright, I'll explain." Heero said in a rather subdued monotone. "I met Dilluvia when he came to seek training from my master, Kyoji-sensei. He was a good student and a great sparring partner. We became something akin to friends since we trained so much together, he had such an unbelievable strength and he never seemed to tire. He invited me to his private quarters late at night for a special training session and to explain why he was so strong. He said I could be that strong too. I was young and just wanted to be stronger so I could…Well anyway, it wasn't long before he had me under his control and the next thing I knew II woke up and he was telling me my fate while he forced me to drink blood from his palm." Heero paused to look at Duo, he was unsure of what the boy's reaction would be and when he saw understanding in those violet eyes he couldn't stop the flutter in his chest. There wasn't pity or disappointment, and what gave Heero's heart a jump was that the boy wasn't judging him. Not once through this whole ordeal had Duo judged him for anything he had done. There was something very …unique about this young man. Heero just wished he could pinpoint exactly what this feeling was he had about the boy.

"So you had no choice, your fate was just dealt to you." Duo's solemn words and distant voice struck home with Heero. They had been brought into this curse the same way. Duo hadn't had a choice either, and both of them had had no idea about what was happening to them. There was a difference though, Duo hadn't and wouldn't ever be forced to kill to survive. Heero saw Duo's eyes flutter over to him when he thought this but they darted away quickly. Perhaps there was more to Duo than Heero had thought. Maybe their lives weren't so different after all. Maybe Duo could…it didn't matter either way he still wasn't going to bite the boy there was just too much of a risk.

"So how come you guys are immortal if you don't have a stone?" Duo asked trying to redirect the conversation. He didn't want his past to come into this he just wasn't ready to talk about all the terrible and strange things that he had done without even knowing it.

"It was some kind of interaction between the alchemy and the curse, now it moves more like a disease. They succeeded in spreading immortality even better than they had predicted." Quatre said, glad they had gotten off the subject of Heero so he could answer Duo without fear of saying something Heero didn't want him to.

"So is there a way to stop it?" Duo asked without thinking about it. 'Of course not' he chided himself, 'if there were a way to stop it would Heero be trying to find a way to kill himself you idiot!' Duo noticed that everyone had been silent for a moment.

"We don't want to believe it, but no there isn't a way to cure it." Quatre said with more sorrow on his voice than Duo had heard coming from the happy blonde.

"No one knows for sure." Trowa added as though he was trying to console his lover, but it didn't seem that he even believed what he said. There was a pause then Heero's monotone broke the silence with a low whisper.

"There may be." Heero's voice sounded just as despondent as Trowa's, it was obvious he didn't really think it could be done either. It seemed that this information was new to everyone though, because when Duo looked around they were all staring at Heero in the same way he had been looking at all of them through this whole discussion. Confused, shocked and disbelieving.

"You never told us that." Quatre sounded a little hurt but much more surprised.

"There's a prophecy that was made the day Dilluvia disappeared from this world. It was first spoken in han'nuk, the vampire language, and the translation into English gets a little fuzzy." Heero said, but he was seemed hesitant in telling them all this.

"What does it say?" Quatre asked, so Heero reluctantly recited what Dilluvia had told him before he had disappeared.

"Chianu e' kengre lun jikora.

Rie'te Sutre 'ra yuscuru.

Nie awadne 'ra gaie e' tie.

Hinan di chanuk namai.

Le' gaie lun espri ani li'.

'Ra sero tui tae'ru nien.

Saina' li' gana indai.

Rin'nan denra nir ina hidor.

Gaie sutre amai wanae.

'Ye re'to tabin.

Nir suta rega amai lun jikora."

"What does it mean?" Duo asked, everyone else seemed to be contemplating the significance of what they had heard but Duo had no clue whatthe boy had justsaid. Heero's icy depths fixed on the longhaired boy.

"Bound by blood and time.

Great King of Shadows.

No spark of life within thee.

Condemned to loveless night.

Though life and spirit be one.

Of them thou have not.

Take head the purple rose.

For its light will only burn.

Life's great love lost

But found again

Will let flow love and time."

"Oh that clears everything up." Duo added sarcastically, but everyone else seemed grave and contemplative.

"Why didn't you tell us before Heero?" Quatre looked hurt, but Duo could see that the young blonde, for some reason, made allowances for Heero's secrets. Probably because the vampire was so old that Quatre just respected his judgment.

"It's impossible to decipher. I didn't want to give you false hope, but since we're laying everything out for Duo I figured now was as good a time as any to tell you."

"Well let's try to figure it out. The purple rose is obviously the stone." Quatre said with a brighter disposition than he had just a moment ago.

"Why's that?" Duo asked, none of what had been going today had really made sense to him, but this time he was totally lost.

"Because the stone has a maroon-purple tint to it and emits light when it's being used that has a purplish hue." Quatre said, again as though he had read it in a textbook or something. That was the difference between Quatre's explanations and Heero's. Quatre was obviously reciting things that he had heard, but Heero spoke from memory.

"Just stop Quatre, thousands have tried for over a thousand years. We aren't going to solve it in one afternoon." Quatre's head sagged and he seemed to take a great interest in the grass he was sitting on. Trowa looked over to his blonde love.

"So what do we do now? I think we've had enough of this, don't you?" Trowa asked but it didn't really sound like a question. "I'm taking Quatre back, you two can do what you want." Trowa seemed a little angry at Heero's harsh words, but Heero didn't respond he didn't even look at the couple as they walked away. Duo did watch them leave, he wasn't sure if he wanted to run and leave with them or stay here with Heero. Trowa seemed like he wanted to be alone with Quatre though, so Duo was stuck. He idly wondered how long they had been talking, it didn't seem like very long but the sun was high in the sky and burning hot. He looked at his watch and saw that it was close to three o' clock in the afternoon.

"Oh shit." Duo yelled. "My afternoon shift starts in ten minutes! I have to get to Howard's like now!" Duo jumped off the ground brushing dirt off his butt and straightening his shirt.

"Sorry I have to go now." Duo said quickly before racing off to grab his clothes for his night shift before he had to race to off to the bar. He ran wildly across the lawns to his dorm room hoping that Trowa had taken Quatre back to his room so he wouldn't be interrupting anything.

Heero watched him run the whole way, he wasn't sure but he thought he might feel disappointed that the boy was leaving. It felt strange to almost have emotions again. It had been so long that he couldn't even recognize them anymore. He was a soulless monster he shouldn't be allowed to feel anything but this boy was bringing back what a thousand of years of hell had killed off. Heero took a deep breath out of habit and closed his eyes relaxing against the trunk of the tree. He lay there for the rest of the afternoon just trying to feel the sun on his skin, he was shocked to find that he could feel a little warmth. Was it all because Duo's blood ran through his veins?

"Who are you Duo Maxwell, and what have you done to me?"

* * *

So that's the setup, kind of, well it's the basic info anyway naturally there are a few twists that I left out. So any questions? comments? Hmm, I usually get to talk about a song or song title I used in my other story. I don't think Blood Red Sun is the title of anything, I could be wrong though. Maybe I should have used Black Hole Sun, but that would ruin the blood theme.Damn I guess I'm actually being kind of original with my titles... weird.Okay, I guess I'm done blabbering on for this chapter. Ahh, that makes me sad. Hey I could tell you guys how in my family a bake sale is the omen of death. No? Alright I guess I'm done then. Hey you in the back, stop clapping for joythat's just mean. 


	3. Bleeding With Apathy

Ok so it has been a looong time since I updated this guy, what can I say it's the end of the year and it's getting a little crazy. Well I know they may get a little boring but I can't put them down so I am going to try and continue to update both my fics. Unfortunately that means updates are going to be a little slower than if I just focussed on one but I couldn't chose which one to drop. So yeah, back to the usual babble...the title is a fraise I'm sure I've heard somwhere I just can't think of any specifics and uhm this is the last information packed chapter from now on we get more into the story and the character's relationships. I don't think I have any warnings, there's a little violence and a little cursing but that's all...for now. Don't worry if you're still a little confused after this I'm going to get into everyone's story eventually, especially Heero's. So that's all for now, sorry I took so long.

* * *

The Cursed No More

Bleeding with Apathy

Duo ran wildly around the dorm room tossing dark,tight, revealing clothes into his backpack along with a few books and things. He was running low on book money for next semester so for the next couple months he would have to wear his more revealing outfits and hope for higher tips. He would probably have to flirt a lot more too and that got old quick but it almost guaranteed a near doubling of his usual tips. The bar was usually pretty slow in the afternoon so he got as much homework done as possible since taking eighteen units and working almost full time didn't leave him with a whole lot of free study time. He thought about taking his laptop along but figured he wouldn't have that much break time at the bar it was the weekend after all. He grabbed his backpack and zipped it up as he slung it over his shoulder. He snatched his keys with the mace key-chain on his way out and a couple of cans of tomato soup then began the long walk down the streets and slums to Howard's bar for his shift.

He got to the bar with little incident just a few of the local homeless asking for change. He gave a couple of guys a few cans of soup and Mary a dollar plus a can of soup. Marry was there everyday in the same spot and he had gotten to know her over time. He knew she used what he gave her to buy smokes or alcohol but he also knew that if she got no money from the passer-bys then she'd end up selling herself at night to get her fix. He walked into the bar and found one guy sitting in the back sipping from a pint and since he didn't exactly see a lot of tip opportunities he decided to get right in on his calculus homework. Slinging his bag over the counter Duo jumped up and slid over it himself taking one last glance at the man in the back. He couldn't explain it but the man gave him a weird feeling, it was a tingling in the base of his neck like the guy was watching him even though his eyes were on his drink. Duo pulled out his enormous calculus book and his notebook. He fumbled around for a pen and started flipping through pages and notes trying to find the chapter they left off on in the last class. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Howard coming out from the stock room. He smiled at his book hoping it would be hidden by his loose chestnut bangs. He didn't want Howard to know how much he liked their conversations, but the old man had caught the grin.

"What are you smiling about? Get a good grade or a good lay?" Howard started cracking up at the grossed out look on Duo's face. The old man loved to tease him and the worse the things that came out of his mouth the funnier Duo's reaction. Sometimes though the boy could turn things around in ways he would never think of and that's what Howard loved about the kid, he was super sweet but his wit was sharp as a knife.

"Gross Howie. How could you even mention grades with my statics test next week." Howard laughed again and went over to pat the boy on the shoulder as he often did. He thought of the boy as his own son and they had a very comfortable relationship, if he had had a kid he would have wanted one as loving, strong, funny, and determined as Duo Maxwell. Duo waited for the impact, Howard had a lot of strength for his age and skinny arms, but the contact never came. Duo looked over to Howard and saw the strangest expression on the old man's face. He couldn't even explain it there was a mixture of severe pain, guilt, heartache, and sorrow. It was horrible and it made Duo's stomach turn to see it.

"Hey Howie what's up?" Duo asked trying to sound normal but his small breakfast was rising in his throat at Howard's horrified look. Howard drew back his trembling hand and shook his head trying to put his smile back in place but it looked forced if not a little painful.

"Nothing kid. You know those textbooks drive away customers. Nobody wants to buy a beer from a smart punk." Howard chuckled and started heading back to the storeroom, he winked to Duo and the boy smiled back.

"What do you want me to be Howie, a lazy bum of a bar owner who pawns off his duties on poor college kids while he sits in the back and 'tests' the beer." Howard started cracking up hard but there was still something sad in the old man's mannerisms despite his hearty laugh.

"Better than some punk kid with a loud mouth who makes his living wearing leather pants that he looks too hot in for his own damn good." He said laughing. He loved the kid's sense of humor it was like he had raised the boy himself their way of joking was so similar.

Duo watched as Howard disappeared into the stockroom, he chuckled a little but couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong with Howie and it wasn't like him to keep secrets from Duo. The braided boy decided that it was better not to bother the man and wait until Howard came and told him what was wrong. He really hoped the bar wasn't closing, he would miss Howie a lot and he would never be able to afford to finish the semester. Speaking of school, Duo turned back to his schoolwork flipping a few pages and taking a few notes. He continued working through the rest of the afternoon occasionally handing out a beer or two but there weren't very many customers that early in the day. He didn't see Howard again until just before five when more customers would be coming in, the after work business drunks. But it wasn't a middle-aged man in a stuffy suit with a bad attitude and a chip on his shoulder that walked through the door when the clock struck five. It was Heero. Duo felt like he was experiencing last night all over again watching the grace of the dark young man as he passed through the door, it was almost like his feet never really touched the ground. Duo watched the jacket flow around the boy's slight but toned body and realized that it was odd to wear such a long jacket when it was so warm and still light outside. Maybe Heero didn't feel warmth the way most people did, after all he did lack a normal supply of plasma.

They caught each other's eyes from across the bar and Duo watched as a flicker of silver passed through Heero's deep blue orbs. He also realized that at the moment Heero was the only customer in the entire bar. Not that it was unusual to have an empty bar just before the after work rush, but being alone in the darkly lit room with Heero again so soon after the young man had turned his world upside down, was just a little unnerving to Duo. Howard drifted out from the back room with a dark look on his face the likes of which Duo had never seen. His face was cloaked in shadow and there was a snarl on his lips. The old bar owner stared at Heero Yuy like he was the son of the devil walking around in his best friend's skin. Duo stood up off the bar stool he was sitting on and backed away from the counter, he felt as though he were standing in an imminent war path and should immediately get out of the way. He was right too, Howard stormed passed him on the other side of the counter making a line straight for Heero. Duo jumped over the tabletop and followed behind Howard, wary of the mood the old man was in.

"You." Howard growled low like an animal as he ran faster toward Heero grabbing the boy by the throat and practically lifting the boy off the ground as he slammed him into the bar's wall. Duo froze and stared with awe as Heero did nothing to defend himself, he simply hung limply in the old man's grip.

"Howard stop it!" Duo yelled but the bar owner didn't even flinch. He gripped Heero tighter and pounded him once against the wall. Duo ran over to the two and stared wildly at the old man, he had never seen Howie act like this even when he was breaking up bar brawls.

"How dare you take him from me." Howard snarled right into Heero's face but there was still no response from the boy. He didn't look remorseful or pissed off or anything that you would expect based on the way Howard was acting. Duo found himself again lost in a conversation that he realized was way over his head.

"How dare you taint something so pure." Howard had leaned forward and was now almost yelling straight into Heero's face. Duo stared back and forth between the two wondering if they knew each other or if there was something else that was going on. If this had to do with vampires again Duo was going to scream and he had the distinct feeling that it did.

"I will kill you!" Howard yelled and Duo flinched at the raw hatred in the old man's voice but there was still nothing from Heero's dead face. Those ice blue eyes didn't even hold the same sharp piercing glare they usually did. It was almost like he not only expected all this but accepted the idea of Howard killing him.

"Howard stop!" Duo yelled back and this time he got the old man's attention but it was anger that Howard directed at him and that didn't sit well with Duo at all.

"Stay back Duo. You don't know what you've gotten into." Howard spoke to him in low angry tones and even though Duo could hear the remorse in the bar owner's voice he was too tired of being told what he did and didn't understand that he could throw up. He was sick of not having control over his own life anymore, it seemed like everything was happening to him without him even being aware of it. Like he was part of some big scheme but he didn't understand what it was, and he was sick of people who didn't know his fate any better than he did trying to tell him what _his_ life was going to be.

"Yes I do!" Duo screamed back with all of his pent up frustration. But the look on Howard's face made him regret it almost instantly. The guilt in the old man's eyes was horrendous for Duo's soul.

"Sort of." The longhaired boy said in a much more subdued voice this time. All his anger over everyone knowing his future better than he did now left his body as Howard's wrinkled gray eyes stared into his with so many emotions flitting across them that Duo couldn't keep up.

"No you don't." Howard said again with much less anger and much more solemnity. "He's a Dilluvian and that makes him a deprave sick bastard. They all are! They kill for kicks just because they can. They're disgusting creatures." He growled out through gritted teeth.

"Only one of them has ever tried to redeem himself. While the rest of that repulsive bunch was competing to create their own species, he alone never turned a soul. But even that one can never be forgiven for he was the companion of Dilluvia himself for three hundred years. A thousand years ago Dilluvia made this man the first to ever be turned into a vamp by another and together they traveled the world side by side leaving a trail of blood wherever they went. They were ruthless and took whatever they wanted!" At this Heero's eyes narrowed, Duo just listened in horror unable to believe what Howard was telling him. If Heero just killed whatever he wanted then why had Duo been spared and why was the vampire trying to kill himself.

"He cannot be forgiven for the things he has done. For I believe that last night he stole the innocence from one of the purest creatures I have ever seen walk this earth. And if he didn't already know it, I would tell him that from now on his existence was a cursed one." Howard snarled into Heero's face but the boy was back to that impassively neutral mask. Heero's lack of response just seemed to anger Howard even more. Duo didn't know what to do, he was stunned by what was happening but even more stunned by the information Howard had given him. Howard's anger with the boy's apathetic attitude finally boiled over and he found himself almost shaking the boy hoping for any kind of response.

"You filthy disgusting demon, you care for no one. Your heart is colder than stone. You took what you wanted from this world and you didn't care who you hurt. You tainted this land and now you've tainted this boy with your black blood!" Howard was out of breath by the time he was finished with Heero but he had gotten what he wanted. There was a response boiling up in Heero, an anger that the boy found very difficult to keep under control.

"Your wrong." Hissed the vampire in a low angry voice that sent chills down Duo's pine. When Heero was angry it was a truly frightening thing.

"Howard he had no choice, I would have died!" Duo yelled trying to get the old man to understand that Heero was good. There was such a strong remorseful pain in his chest and he was sure that it was what Heero was feeling. He knew Heero couldn't be the monster Howard thought he was, because he could feel what the vampire felt and never had he felt such guilt before in his life. Heero was a good person and a victim too.

"That's what he told you, eh?" Howard's harsh words echoed in Duo's ears. Had they lied to him? Had Quatre, Trowa, and Heero been lying to him all along? No, he was sure that he had felt himself dying on the inside until Heero bit him.

"You're disgusting." Howard ground out as he turned back to face Heero.

"If you hadn't let your Hunger take over and forced your tainted blood down his throat then he wouldn't have needed you to save him if saving is what you want to call it, cursing him is a more like it." Duo made a noise as if to protest but Howard continued without letting him. "No, I will not forgive you!"

"Do you think I want to be forgiven!" Heero's angry raised voice stunned both of the other occupants of the room into silence. "I much more gladly welcome your threat's of death, but you and I both know that you won't kill me and risk his life." Heero gestured his head toward Duo and the braided boy stared at the vampire's profile still thinking it was handsome but he was slightly frightened by the look on the boy's face. It was more than just regret, it was more than suicidal, it was a complete and total disgust of himself and his existence. Howard sighed and let go of Heero's neck, slumping back away from the wall in defeat. The anger in his face quickly changed to guilt and sorrow.

"You took him from me, you took Duo from me. I tried so hard to protect him. He drew them in, vampires off the street would walk in here because they were drawn by his warmth just as you were even if you don't realize it Dilluvian. They all felt his innocence, the purity in his blood, and followed it here and I had to protect him from them all. His light warmed them when not even the sun could. I'm sorry Duo, I have failed you." Howard's mournful voice struck a chord in the braided boy's heart. He couldn't understand why Howard felt like he had to protect him against vampires. How did Howard think that he could protect Duo against a bunch of vampires unless…

"Wait, Howard how do you know all this, you talk about vampires like you…" Howard looked over to Duo and the boy realized that it was one of those rare times when Howard wasn't wearing his sunglasses and he could see the silvery gleam in those stormy gray eyes.

"Oh Howard, you too?" The old man nodded to Duo solemnly, he had been lying to Duo for a very long time and it felt a little good to finally get that secret off his chest but that was nothing to lighten the heavy guilt and depression he felt right now. Duo was almost crushed, although during this whole ordeal he had strongly suspected that Howard was somehow involved in the vampire community, it even crossed his mind that the old man may be one too. But to have the old man confirm his suspicion was still such a shock that he had a hard time wrapping his mind around it. He didn't want to believe it, the bar was his only place he had left that he could go and still feel a little normal.

"When you walked in here looking for a job I knew I had to protect you. You lit up the room with that smile of yours, your heart was hurting but it was so pure, kid. I knew that if I didn't take you in then you'd move on somewhere else, somewhere not safe. And I knew that vampires would be drawn to you, they'd find a way to get you and I wouldn't be able to help you. Duo, have you been wondering, now that you know we exist, why all of your friends are vampires?" Howard looked into Duo's eyes and the boy was stunned, it was true that everyone he knew was turning out to be apart of this weird world that he had stumbled into. Duo looked confusedly back and forth between Heero and Howard, Heero didn't meet his gaze but Howard was softly smiling at him with a sad little grin.

"You're special kid, truly kind people like you are a rarity. It shows too in everything that makes you, you. Even in your blood it shines." Duo just watched Howard, the old man looked like he was fighting back tears and his face twisted between anger and grief. To Duo though it seemed like anger was winning out. Then Howard out of nowhere punch Heero in the gut, Duo screamed at Howard to stop but Heero looked like he hadn't even felt it. Duo just couldn't get used to this new reality. It was like Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole, nothing made sense anymore to him but everyone else seemed to understand what was going on.

"I can't even touch him now you bastard, you have tainted his beautiful light." Howard walked away from Heero and sank down onto the first barstool he stumbled into. He was fighting back the tears again and was losing the battle. A few drops of water leaked from the corners of his eyes as he slumped over the countertop. The old man dropped his forehead into his hands and stayed like that for a long. Heero still didn't move, his face was completely neutral as Duo stared over at him. He was torn between the two but eventually ended up running over to Howard.

"Howard you shouldn't be angry with Heero, it was out of his control. And what do you mean you can't touch me anymore." Duo went to place his hand on the old man's back but Howard flinched away from his touch. The braided boy drew back a very shaky arm, he was suddenly very afraid that what Howard was saying was true. Would Howard never be able to give him one of those great big bear hugs whenever he came running into the bar for his shift with a big red A on his test. Would he never get one of Howard's slap on the backs that told him the old man had really liked whatever joke he had just told. Duo functioned on touch. All of his relationships were touchy-feely because he was just that kind of person. What would he do now?

"It's true Duo, he can't touch you but you can still touch him. It's a rule for our kind that once a mortal is bound to a vampire no other vamp can touch him. So now that you're bound to me…Well Quatre hasn't touched you since last night has he?" It was more of a statement than a question and it was devastating to Duo because it was true. Quatre had barely been able to look at him so Duo thought it had just been the guilt but Quatre had not laid a hand on him since Heero had bit him, but …

"Quatre did touch me just after you bit me." Duo almost yelled, he was so hopeful that someone would still be able to hug him that the look on Heero's face nearly crushed him all over again.

"It's not immediate, the curse needs time to circulate throughout the entire body. But you _are_ marked now, other vamps can sense it, smell it. You belong to me in their minds. And belonging to me is probably the best protection against vampires you could get. No one will mess with you and risk getting on my bad side. This is probably even better than any protection you could offer him old man." Heero stated as if the fact that all vampires in the universe feared him more than anyone else was common knowledge. Then again in the world of vamps it probably was. It was still strange to Duo how much of another world vampires lived in even though they shared the same planet.

"But you don't have to obey that rule do you Dilluvian?" Howard's spiteful voice echoed in Duo's mind. It was all so much to handle, his whole world was collapsing and fast. "You're kind don't follow the rules, especially you, Dilluvia's little protégé. Unlike us lowly vamps, you can do whatever you want, can't you? And you do, don't you? Like kill thousands just to watch them die the way you and your buddy Dilluvia did." That got Heero's attention, silvery eyes shimmered angrily at Howard and the old man found himself shaking just a little at the incredible ancient power that swirled within the boy who wasn't really a boy at all. Even Duo could feel something in the air change as though nature itself feared Heero's unnatural power.

"You're wrong," Came a dark and angry voice from Heero's mouth and it sent shivers down Duo's spine, he could see why everyone was afraid of Heero. The guy could be damn scary when he was ticked off. "Dilluvia had the blood lust, I only took what I needed. You're wrong that I've never turned a man, I did, just one. And I wish everyday that I could take it back or that I could control the Hunger and finally kill myself. Life's cheap Duo, especially mine." Duo could feel the emotions swirling through Heero's body and they were feeding his immense power. He could see images flashing through his mind but he knew they were not his own. A small girl is smiling then she is covered in blood. A tall blonde man laughs and tosses a dead woman aside. There was so much about Heero that Duo was sure he would never be able to truly get to know the boy. Heero was so complex, what everyone saw as a frightening ancient vampire or at least a guy that wasn't messed with, was actually a scared kid that just wanted all the pain and death to end. Heero was like a soldier that hated war with every fiber of his being. How he felt was absolutely nothing like what he portrayed to people. In this moment Duo felt closer to Heero than he had to anyone else in his, they were one and the same.

"Not all life is cheap. That boy was pure gold before you tainted him." Howard's voice was still angry but it seemed the sight of an angry Heero had quelled the old man's gusto. Duo was hurt by the old man's statement. After all he was still Duo no matter what had happened to him.

"Am I worth nothing to you now Howard? You talk about me like I'm dead." Duo slid up on the counter and reached over to grab his backpack. He threw the books he had been studying into the bag and zipped it up roughly. Heero watched him, all the silvery shine gone from his eyes as he realized that he had too had spoken about Duo like a pet, the old vampire mentality kicking in despite how much he despised it. Howard too watched him with sad gray eyes but Duo didn't care right now, all he wanted to do was get out of that bar and be alone for a while Duo stormed over to the door brushing past Heero without even a glance in the vampire's direction. He was so sick of all this vampire crap that he could scream. He was so frustrated with just life in general, he didn't know what he was doing but he knew he had to keep moving because if he sat down he would think and he didn't want to have to think right now.

"I'm taking the night off." He said briskly as he pushed the door open and paused for a second allowing his eyes to readjust to the bright natural light. It took a lot longer than usual this time and it felt like the sunlight was burning through his retina, he found himself wishing he hadn't left the dimly lit bar but he adjusted and was on his way. As he left he heard Howard whisper something and he was surprised that he could hear even though he was halfway out the door.

"I'm sorry Duo, you know you mean the world to me kid." Howard's voice was hoarse like he was crying, but Duo didn't turn back. He just wasn't ready to face all this again, he sighed as he heard the door click closed behind him. He knew Howard loved him, and he loved Howie. It was tearing him up that the old man was suffering but Duo just couldn't force himself to go back into that dark room and be apart of the damn vampire world again. He wished that he would just wake up from this nightmare. He wanted to be supportive and not make Heero feel any worse about the situation but it was really starting to get to him. He just needed to go somewhere where he could act normal and be around normal people and worry about normal things like tests and sports and dates. He heard the door open and click shut behind him. He didn't even have to turn around he knew it was Heero, but what was strange was that he could actually feel that Heero was behind him not just that there was someone behind him and he knew it had to Heero. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that it could possibly be anyone else, he could sense it. Heero caught up to him quickly and Duo noticed that the boy made no sound when he walked. He hadn't even heard Heero approach him but he had felt it. Didn't Trowa say these weird left over vamp powers were supposed to go away? He had thought they were disappearing but now he thought that maybe he was just getting used to them.

"So why did you come down here Heero?" Duo asked in a very frustrated voice, he wasn't sure why he was taking out his pent up anger on Heero but he wouldn't have known all this about all his friends if Heero had never come along. He just couldn't decide if he felt angrier because all his friends had been lying to him or because with himself for wanting to live in the lie. It was better that he knew the truth right? No matter how much he tried to tell himself that he couldn't help but miss his simple life where myth was myth and vampires were cheesy characters that all used the voice from The Count on Sesame Street.

"I came to tell you that Quatre and Trowa have offered to help us control the thoughts we receive from each other." Heero spoke but never looked Duo's way, which made the longhaired boy suspect that there was something more to Heero's sudden appearance.

"Well that's great but that's not why you came down here." Duo decided to call Heero on his bluff and the fact that Heero suddenly found his shoes very interesting made Duo wonder just what exactly the boy was thinking about. He had a feeling this was going to be a good one if he could actually get the real story out of the boy.

"I thought we should talk." Heero mumbled and stood still on the cracked pavement surrounded by the dim light of the street lamps and the ever-darkening sky.

"You thought we should talk?" Duo asked sarcastically with a playful grin on his face and one eyebrow cocked. Heero couldn't help but think that if Duo wanted to he could probably be very charming and didn't need any supernatural powers to get whatever he wanted.

"Okay Quatre thought we should talk." Heero admitted reluctantly to that seductively innocent grin and was rewarded by an even bigger smile. He was surprised by what a smile from Duo could do to him. He was quick to realize that Duo's smile was like his glare, just a way to hide what he was really feeling. But where Heero needed to be alone to escape Duo was able to hide in plain sight. It was all the more impressive because if Heero weren't able to sense the frustration, anger, and pain in Duo then he would never know that the boy was suffering. Duo's smile was the perfect decoy his mask was absolutely flawless.

"What about this time?" The joker asked and Heero couldn't help the tiniest of curves that graced his lips, he was so impressed with this unique young man. How could the boy not hate him or at least hold a grudge, but Duo was different he was able to take what life gave him and adapt with little more than a few emotional scars. Heero had freaked out when he was first plunged into vampire life, but over the years of existing as soulless monster he had stopped caring about pretty much everything. Duo had noticed the smile too. It made his heart skip a small beat at all the emotion hidden in that split second twitch of those perfect lips. It was real, not the seductive twist that he had that first night at the bar or the feral curl he used to strike fear when he was pissed off but a genuine heart stopping smile.

"I don't know, do you have any questions about me…personally." The ridiculousness of this conversation was not lost on Duo and he found himself laughing and he laughed even more hysterically at Heero's befuddled look. Heero shook his head slightly. He had never felt like this before it was like life was tingling in him trying to get to the surface.

"Quatre must have used some major puppy dog eyes to get you do this." Duo laughed again happy that he was having a somewhat normal conversation. If they kept this up maybe he could pretend that everything was still like it used to be. That Heero was just some cool guy that he was hanging out with for the night. That Howard's bar was still his sanctuary and Howie just an old fart that he loved. Quatre was still his cute roommate with the mysterious and elusive boyfriend. And his life consisted of tests, jokes, and ten-minute debates with himself on benefits of going to class instead of sleeping in.

"That kid has a sadistic streak hidden in him. But I suppose he's right, we should try to get to know each other." Heero joked, trying to keep the conversation lighthearted. He liked it when Duo wasn't weighed down by a thousand thoughts. For some reason Duo's smiling face unburdened mind and made him feel …well it made him feel.

"Actually I've got a few for you. Like why did Howard call you Dilluvia's protégé?" Duo was surprised when Heero stopped all of a sudden in the middle of the darkly lit sidewalk. He looked back at the vampire to find the strangest look on his handsome face. Heero stared intently at the ground, even more so then when Duo had forced Heero to say what Quatre had been bothering him about. But this time instead of the slightly embarrassed look he had, now Heero looked like Duo had just asked him if he liked to kill people.

"When Dilluvia was still around it was believed that as he turned people into vampires he learned how to hold back his power so as you go down the line of his victims they get weaker. But after Dilluvia's disappearance people started to think that he made me more powerful than the rest on purpose, like I was supposed to rule the vamps after he left. Dilluvia's sister even used to call me the little vampire prince. Dilluvia always considered himself sort of king of the vampires. He really was too, his power was that vast and terrible." Heero again looked like he was far away in the past. It was almost like only half of Heero lived in the present while the other half always lived in the past.

"They all feared him because he could kill anyone just by looking at them, vampire or not. Not even all the Dilluvians working together could have stood a chance against him. So now they all think that since I lived with him until his death and because he made so much stronger than the rest that I am his protégé and that I can do all the terrible things he did. So now they all fear me just like they did him." Heero's hollow words tore at Duo's heart, it was like listening to himself when he was a kid and felt like God and nature were plotting against him. Maybe Heero just needed to feel like he belonged somewhere and the boy wouldn't be so hard to reach. Already Duo could see bits of the vampire's mask chipping away when they were alone together. But back there with Howard Heero's mask had been almost impenetrable, was Heero ready to have someone trying to be his friend? Duo didn't know, but he felt that he had to try.

"It almost sounds like this Dilluvia guy planned all this, like he wanted you to be isolated from the rest of the vampires." Heero stared at Duo like he wasn't human. He looked like he was going to say something but held himself back. Duo couldn't help but get the feeling that he had stumbled on something private, something Heero wasn't ready to talk about. So Duo changed the subject gracefully.

"Everyone keeps talking about how Dilluvia disappeared, what did he do die or go to Florida or what?"

"He left this plane of existence." Heero responded and Duo got the feeling he was being cryptic on purpose just to tease him.

"Just as confusing." Duo said sarcastically.

"I know, let me finish." Heero responded in an equally sarcastic tone and Duo couldn't help but smile. Maybe Heero was ready for someone to want to be his friend.

"Sorry." Duo added with a grin that told just how sorry he was.

"Remember how everything has an opposite, well not a lot of people know this but the philosopher's stone has its own opposite stone. Where the philosopher's stone uses alchemy to create things out of nothing including life, this other stone can turn something into nothing including a man's life. Dilluvia used it on himself and we don't know what happened to him. He wanted to find a cure…for me, but instead he vanished." Duo met and held Heero's eyes for a long time, he could not let go of the beautiful blue orbs. He could almost see the ice in the vampire's gaze melting the longer they looked at each other. He wondered what Dilluvia had meant to the boy in the past, or what this man still meant to him. It seemed that everyone else thought the great vampire was dead but not Heero. For a second Duo found himself wondering what he meant to Heero but he cut that off right away for many reasons. One, he barely knew the guy himself. Two, Heero could read his thoughts at will. And three, he just really didn't feel like thinking about that right now.

"Ugh no more vampire magic and philosophy." Duo tried to lighten the mood, but he had one more question and he had a feeling that it would the most personal one he asked Heero as of yet.

"You said that Howard was wrong about you never turning anyone into a vampire, but I thought that you said there were seven races in all including the Dilluvians as a distinct race. So if there were seven victims and seven races and Dilluvia has his own race then only six of his victims could have races too. And I thought you were the one victim that didn't try to create his own race." Heero looked solemn, but it was the guilt in his eyes that surprised Duo. Had the boy lied about that?

"One person is hardly enough to be considered a race." Heero was being cryptic again but this time Duo knew he wasn't doing it jokingly. This was definitely and area of his life that Heero was not comfortable discussing.

"One man…_Quatre_." Duo couldn't stop the name from falling from his lips, but the second he said it he knew it was true without having to see Heero's face.

"Yeah." Heero's response was barely above a whisper, but it didn't matter because Duo hadn't needed an answer. Heero watched his beauty as he stared at the sun finally slipping below the city's horizon.

"Okay you know what I just can't deal with figuring _that_ out right now. I need go somewhere, I don't care where, I just want to not think for a while." The look that passed across Duo's features made Heero want to reach out to the boy, it was a very strange feeling for Heero. And before he knew it he was spitting out the first thing that came to his mind.

"I know a place we can go to."

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Pretty short huh? If it feels half done that's because it is. I had a lot more planned for this chapter but I felt like I should get something posted. Plus it's a nice place to divide since from now on all the Dilluvia history lessons are gonna stop and the story is going to pick up a little. So I think it's going to get a little more interesting from here on so stick with me. Sorry for all the grammer issues as usual and the boring chapter but next time will be better stuff. Ok I guess that's it for now, I've already started the next chapter so it should be out quicker than this one. Thanks to everyone, I love all the reviews I get for this story. You guys are hillarious and have some really good questions. Thanks bunches, see you next chapter. 


	4. The Blood of My Father

Okay so it's short again but it was a little quicker then last time ne? So I'm going to updat These boots next because that on'es been waiting a looong time and I want to write a sappy chapter damnit...wait all the chapters for that story have moments of sap...nevermind. So anyway the title is,I don't know it's just a phrase that's used a lot I think. Not many warnings, a little swearing and possibly a little blasphemy but not really...So that's it I guess. Are you actually still reading this mindless chatter...

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The Cursed No More

The Blood of My Father

Heero made his way through the streets of the city with Duo following close behind him, it was like even though they didn't know anything about him, people could sense something foreboding in the young man and they avoided him on the street. Duo thought back to when Howard had finally provoked Heero enough to get him angry, it had been frightening but Duo had been more worried about all that had happened in Heero's life that could make him so disgusted with his own existence. Duo didn't see all the frightening things that people kept telling him about Heero. Supposedly the guy was suicidal, ok so he _had_ noticed that one, but he was also supposed to be some kind of horrible blood lusting beast according to Howard. Duo supposed when he looked back on last night he could see where that one came from, but that hadn't been Heero. From what he had gathered what had happened to Heero that night was something that happened to all vampires when they didn't …uhm eat. The curse just took over so why was Heero targeted and hated by all the vampires when they all had to deal with the same thing. Was it because he had been treated specially by this head vampire guy and they were jealous or did they all really fear his power? Was Heero _that_ powerful, sometimes he just seemed like a regular guy, totally human.

Duo noticed Heero's footing slipped and there was quick glance from icy blue eyes his way. But the eyes were very different, the ice was almost completely melted and his face almost had a real expression on it. Duo was shocked to say the least, he almost stopped right in the middle of the street. They really needed to start those lessons with Quatre, this was getting out of control. He could sense Heero's emotions at all times. Even now he could sense the confusion and hope in the boy, he could even hear a few words here and there and he didn't like what he heard. Heero thought the worst things about himself it was horrible to think that someone had to live with these kinds of thoughts festering in their mind. There was stuff about being a soulless monster and the world being better without his plague of an existence. Duo was disturbed by Heero's thoughts but it wasn't long ago that he himself had wished for death and could not seem to find it. He had felt just how Heero felt now, but he had confronted his demons and thought they still pestered him he knew he could help Heero work through his. He wondered if it weren't a little bit of fait's work that Heero was drawn to the bar that night, they were so similar on the inside even if they were polar opposites on the outside. He felt that his outgoing and accepting personality was what Heero needed, he got the feeling that in Heero's life a lot of people had high expectations and tried to make him things that he wasn't and that had made him shut himself away. Duo would try his best to find the real Heero so they could work out Heero's demons together. He couldn't explain this bond that had formed between Heero and himself but he was determined to help the vampire no matter what because he could sense a kindness in Heero that almost no one else seemed to understand except maybe Quatre and Trowa. He knew it would take a lot of work, after all Heero had lived for a long time and that probably entailed a much longer list of demons to face than Duo had to. But he was going to do his best to help the boy once he got Heero to open up to him. Heero had continued walking and Duo couldn't sense anything weird coming off of the vampire, so he assumed that Heero hadn't picked up on his little internal resolution.

It was the dark side of twilight and the vampire was feeling more energetic with the approaching night, or was it not the night at all maybe it was because Duo was so close he couldn't tell anymore. He took a quick glance over at the longhaired man, happy that he had finally been able to block most of Duo's thoughts because the one's he heard made him confused and he didn't like not understanding the swirl of adrenaline that felt too much like he remembered hope feeling like. He was stunned by the incredible beauty of that heart shaped face framed on one side by the dwindling light of the sun and on the other by the emerging neon city lights. Duo could feel the vampire looking at him and the tumultuous emotions that the boy was trying to suppress. Duo couldn't look back though, the icy gaze pierced through his soul when their eyes locked and Duo wanted to keep his thoughts private. Duo wondered just where the hell they were going when Heero made a quick turn to the left into a dark alleyway. Duo followed even though he was getting more nervous with every step and yet it seemed that the vampire was just the opposite. The further they got from civilization and the darker the night became, the more confident Heero's stride became. They took another left into a back and Heero finally stopped outside a creepy looming brick two-story building. There were no windows anywhere and the door was painted black with green words stenciled at the top that read "The Safe House."

"What is this place?" Duo finally found his voice after staring at the imposing building for a solid minute. Heero strode up to the big black door and knocked three times. Duo watched him do it, and was surprised when the door just seemed to open itself.

"This is a haven for vampires. Everyone in here is somehow connected to the vampire way of life so we don't have to fear persecution in here. We can just be ourselves." Heero finished his cursory explanation and Duo wondered briefly what vampires did that in public would be persecuted. Did they bite each other openly in this place? Maybe this was like a blood orgy house or something? Why would Heero take him to a place like this? Questions flogged his brain but he was distracted by the small room they had entered, he wondered why there was a waiting room in a vampire hangout. Next to the large red door in front of them stood a large East-Indian man who wore sunglasses despite how dark it was inside and dressed in black clothes that reminded Duo of the Matrix. Heero stared intently at the man for a few seconds and Duo wondered what was going on. Then out of nowhere Heero let out an amused snort and the bodyguard smiled.

"I suppose you think you're funny Rashid. Are you trying to impress my friend?" Rashid smiled at Duo and the boy couldn't stop the blush on his cheeks. He could feel the man's eyes looking him over, whether if it was to judge if he was worthy to enter or if the man was just a pervert Duo wasn't sure.

"I just thought I'd test your skills today. In all honesty it's a little slow today and I'm bored as hell." Heero quirked an eyebrow at the extremely tall man but didn't say anything about the guy's love for brawling. He didn't want to bring that up in front of Duo, after all fights were very rare in here especially when Treize was away which he was supposed to be for the next week or so. Treize was another Dilluvian, the second victim ofthevampire king and fairly powerful when compared to any other vamp ...besides Heero of course. The man had a weakness though, sex. He was a horrible flirt with both men and women, though it was obvious he preferred men. And despite being bound to someone he was often found trying to coerce other vamps into sharing their 'toys' as Treize would so lovingly put it. Most of the time Heero thought that Treize did all of this just to see how people would react.He got the feeling that the vampire wasn't really a playboy at all, he just loved to stir things up a little. It was like he wanted to start a war just to finish it. Heero never could understand the way that man thought. Treize thought that men could only find their true selves when they were immersed in turmoil and although sometimes Heero agreed, he could not understand the lengths Treize would go to for a rise out of someone.

"Alright Heero you know I can't let you enter until you guess the color." Heero left his reverie behind. He was here to reassure Duo that despite being apart of this strange new world it was still possible to feel like a normal person, just a little more difficult.

"I will guess when you stop changing the color. It's very amusing but I think you're trying to make me look stupid in front of my guest." Rashid smiled a big grin, and despite being wary of the large man Duo found himself responding to the good nature and fun humor that had been lacking in his life the past couple days. He still had no clue what was going on but he had surmised that in order to get in Heero had to guess the color of something. Duo wondered if he would have to try and guess to, he knew he wouldn't be able to he didn't even know what the object was.

"You caught me. But you've never brought a new face in here, I was just making sure you're not bragging about yourself too much." Heero shook his head and Rashid turned to Duo.

"Don't let him fool you. He doesn't have the answer to everything I just haven't found the right question yet that will stump him." Duo smiled and beckoned the tall man to come closer. Heero watched curiously. Duo never ceased to amaze him, the boy was already able to adapt to this new and strange environment. Hell he was already making friends and Rashid could be a damn scary guy the first time you meet him. He watched as Duo whispered something into Rashid's ear, who had to bend way down so the boy could reach it. There was a pause for a few seconds then all of a sudden Rashid burst out laughing harder than he had ever seen the man do in the two hundred years he had known him.

"What?" Heero asked, he was perturbed that he had not thought to listen in with his mind on what Duo was whispering he had been so distracted by how unique the boy truly was.

"This boy knows the one question that you would not have the answer to." Rashid laughed heartily and slapped Duo on the back in a way that reminded the longhaired boy of Howie a little bit. So this man wasn't a vampire then, since he could touch Duo. Why would a man that's not a vampire be guarding the entrance to a vampire hotspot? Duo's questioning was ground to a halt by the sudden appearance of Heero's face in his direct line of vision, a very stern yet amused face.

"What's the question?" Duo just smiled and shook his head. Heero frowned a little, he was amused by these antics and that confused him a little. He usually just passed right through, sometimes he and Rashid would tease each other but not often. So why was he so curious about some dumb joke that Duo had just made.

"It's nothing Heero. Duo just figured that if I asked you if you prefer top or bottom that you wouldn't know the answer." Heero glared as harshly as he could at Rashid, and the man backed down a little but he was still sniggering behind his back when he turned to face Duo again. Duo just kept smiling and shrugging, it was obvious his glare had no effect on the boy. Something else to add to the unique qualities of Duo, he was not easily intimidated. Duo flung an arm around Heero's shoulders and noticed that the vampire flinched at the contact, he added that to his metal list of things he had to work on with the boy.

"It was just a joke Heero. You can stop looking at me like I'm a big bug that needs squashing." Heero almost smirked, he really liked how Duo didn't treat him any different then one of his good friends. But made him nervous too, he was getting far too attached to this kid it was dangerousbut the real danger was thathe couldn't stop himself. Duo's infectious smile and warm friendly armpushed those thoughts aside for now.

"Alright, tell me the color and you can go in. I guess I've pushed your buttons enough for one night." Rashid chuckled and wiped a few tears out of the corners of his eyes. He smiled at Duo and Duo smiled back. Rashid was happy to see Heero responding so well to another person. He usually only got a curt nod from Heero sometimes a few syllables, but never anything even close to this. It was like this boy brought out the humanity in Heero that had been slowly dying over the centuries that Heero had lived alone and surrounded by death. This boy was so full of life it was bound to rub off even on someone who seemed so stone cold like Heero. He could sense the purity of the young man's life force and was surprised that something so pure still existed these days.

Heero looked long and hard at the man and Duo could see that Rashid was trying to stop himself from grinning too much and was failing miserably. Finally Heero smirked at the tall man and shook his head.

"Gold, green, and blue. You're underestimating me if you think that will stump me." Heero's smirk was still in place when Rashid smiled and clapped Heero on the back. Duo was impressed. When Rashid had slapped his back it had nearly sent him flying forward but Heero didn't move an inch. He did flinch at the contact again, not from the force but it was obvious he didn't enjoy being touched or wasn't very used to it. Duo watched as Rashid's smile widened and he bent down to Heero's height. He slowly pulled down his sunglasses to reveal eyes with a stripe of gold followed by one of green that transitioned into a stripe of bright blue.

"Holy Shit!" Duo yelled and backed up into a table that he hadn't realized was behind him. He almost fell over but Heero caught him at the last second but the vase that was sitting on the little table didn't fare so well. Duo shut his tight when he heard the sound of porcelain shattering. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and Heero was still holding, he didn't look angry on the contrary he looked very amused. That's when it hit Duo just how close they were, he couldn't stop the blush so he tried to cover it with a cough. Duo stood up and looked apologetically at Rashid.

"I'm sorry I hadn't expected that, you really aren't a vampire are you?" Rashid smiled and picked up a few of the larger pieces of the vase. Duo quickly bent down and started cleaning up the broken vase apologizing profusely for knocking it over. Rashid just shook his head and shooed Duo away from the mess.

"Don't worry about it. It's Treize's and I thought it was ugly." Duo looked very confused but he didn't ask any more questions, he was tired of asking questions. "You guys can go through, Heero got it right as usual. I will get you one day though Yuy." Heero snorted and half shrugged as he turned toward the big red door, which had opened all by itself. Duo followed close behind the vampire as they passed into a dim hallway, he could hear soft music playing somewhere in the distance.

"He's a doppelganger. In case you were wondering." Heero said as they walked through the hallway and out into a large room. A doppelganger? Duo wondered what other creatures from myth actually existed.

"So is he really that tall?" Duo didn't know why but for some reason Heero actually laughed at this. It was more of a short bark of a laugh and it was obvious Heero hadn't expected it either. The vampire shook it off though, deciding that it was better to think about all these new questions later. Right now he had to make sure Duo had a good time, he owed it to the guy.

"Is that really what you wanted to ask? I've always wondered if he can change the size of _all_ his appendages" Heero's deadpan voice and serious expression made Duo burst into a fit of laughter. They had to stop at the entrance to the hangout so Duo could catch his breath and when he did it was nearly knocked out of him again at the site of the room.

Duo stared around at his dimly lit surroundings. It looked like someone had renovated an old gothic victorian house to turn it into a nightclub slash hangout. People were lounging in large couches that were stuffed with huge pillows or sitting at comfortable looking tables. There was a small clear area where a few people were dancing to the beat of the pounding music, it was a lot louder out here than in the hallway. As they passed through the crowd people stopped what they were doing and stared at them with grotesque interest. They would stare at Heero then make a quick confused glance at the beautiful longhaired man following closely behind him. Off in the distance Duo saw the top of a blonde head and relief just washed over his body. If Quatre was here then this place couldn't be that bad.

They waded through tables and evil glares to get to Quatre, as they got closer to the young blonde vampire Duo started to take the lead in front of Heero. He snuck behind the blonde and yelled the boy's name over the sound of the music and the crowd. Quatre jumped and whipped around.

"You scared the hell out of me." The blonde vampire smiled at the sight of his best friend, but it was quickly replaced with a look of concern. Duo was going to ask him what was wrong but he was stopped when Heero came to stand next to him and put an arm around his hip. He looked over at Heero's face trying to figure out why the guy was suddenly being so touchy-feely. He saw that ice cold death-glare shooting around the perimeter of the room. Duo followed that icy gaze and felt a shudder run down his back at the way half the patrons were staring at him. He didn't understand, Trowa wasn't a vampire either why weren't they staring at him? Was it because he was new, but new people had to come in here sometimes? Then the words Howard had said right before they came here echoed in his head. 'He drew them in…. His light warmed them when not even the sun could.' What exactly had Howard meant by that and why did he feel like a rabbit sitting in the middle of a lion's den.

"Heero I'm not sure this was the time to bring Duo here." Quatre said meekly and Duo stared back and forth trying to understand what Quatre could possibly mean. Much to Duo's enjoyment Heero looked just as stumped by Quatre's statement as he was, but he looked a hell of a lot less nervous than Duo felt. Heero frowned and watched as Quatre tried to motion inconspicuously behind him. Heero leaned a little to the left to look around the blonde, Duo was almost frightened by Heero's sudden narrowed eyes and snarl. What had Heero seen that had so immediately raised his heckles. All Duo saw was Trowa and some strange kid that looked like a Chinese cowboy in a suit sitting in big cushy chairs at a large table. The cowboy looked over and did a double take when he saw Heero. The look on his face definitely explained Heero's sour features. The two obviously disliked each other.

"Yuy." The cowboy greeted Heero with a frown and a quick nod of his head. Heero did not respond but continued to stare at the stranger like his stare could implode the young man. Duo watched as the cowboy just shrugged and let his gaze drift, he froze when the stranger's eyes paused and looked him up and down. For the first time in this bar though he didn't feel like a hunk of meat it was much more of a curious look like the guy didn't know how Duo belonged with this group.

"I suppose this means that yours and Treize's vacation was cut short, Wufei." Heero's voice ground out and Duo caught the deep animosity that Heero had when he spoke the unusual name…Treize. He had heard that name before, oh shit he had broken that man's lamp. Who was this guy and why did Heero hate him so much?

"Yeah, we felt we needed to come home. By the way I have some interesting news for you Heero." The wicked smile on the cowboy's face made Duo almost cringe. He watched as Quatre looked worriedly over his shoulder then motioned for Heero to follow him. The vampire gave a quick glance to Duo then briefly scanned the room. That made Duo nervous. Heero nodded slowly to Quatre and the two of them disappeared into the crowd. Duo stood there, lost, until the ever-calming voice of Trowa Barton drifted to him over the music from the table behind him. He turned to find the tall boy sitting not too far from Wufei…was the strange cowboy one of their friends. Then why did Heero dislike him so?

"Why don't you sit down Duo?" Duo did just that, sitting next to Wufei yet at the same time keeping his distance from the stranger. The cowboy smiled leeringly at him and Duo couldn't help but think that the boy was actually attractive if not scary as hell.

"What's your name?" Wufei inquired before taking a sip of his unusual looking drink. Duo stared at him for a second before it registered that he should respond to the question being asked of him. He was distracted though, up close he could see all the strange objects that Wufei wore all over his body along with at least a dozen crosses.

"D…Duo Maxwell." He finally got out and he felt like a moron. He was usually so good at conversation. Too good some may say but he just ignored comments like that. Duo wondered where Quatre had taken Heero but he didn't see the harm in talking to the strange young man while Heero wasn't looking.

"Name's Chang Wufei." The cowboy stuck his hand out for Duo to shake it. But if Wufei was in here then surely he was a vampire. Didn't Heero say they could sense the binding, why would this vampire try to touch him? Maybe he was another Dilluvian that didn't have to obey that rule? Duo reached out despite his fear of what might happen if another vampire touched him. He took a firm hold of the cowboy's hand and gave it a good shake. When nothing happened he couldn't refrain the question that popped out of his mouth.

"Are you a vampire?" Duo looked shock that he had blurted out something so stupid but Wufei just laughed. He started to wonder again if the boy wasn't a little off his rocker. Wufei stopped laughing, which was a good thing because Duo was pretty sure the guy didn't laugh a whole lot and it was kind of creepy. Duo tried to smile back and he told himself over and over to stop staring at the guy's accessories but he was failing miserably.

"Nope not a vamp, I hunt them." Duo's chin hit the floor, why the hell was a vampire hunter hanging out in a vampire bar and openly admitting to killing vampires? This guy really was as crazy as his laugh made him sound. He watched as the boy began unhooking all of his equipment and was surprised to see that most of it was strange looking weaponry. They let him bring his weapons in here? Hmm…Duo didn't see a wooden stake in sight. Guess that's one of those myths about vamps.

"You looked surprised. Is it because I'm sitting next to that which I kill?" Duo nodded and Wufei chuckled a little. There was a twinkle of amusement in the cowboy's eye.

"Just like people, some vamps are good and some need a holy bullet in their ass to keep them in line. We can't have wild vamps roaming the streets or chaos and hell would break loose when the people found out about their existence. So I could be considered a vampire cop." Duo marveled at this but it made sense, if beings of unnatural strength and power are going to walk the earth there has to be something to keep them in check or the undead would run the world. Duo caught himself staring at the hardware that had made a huge pile on the table. Wufei caught his gaze and knew the boy was embarrassed to ask but he had to admit to himself that his collection of otherworldly weaponry was pretty impressive.

"You can go ahead and ask me. When Quatre first met me he asked questions from morning till night and he still had more but I had to go to bed. I'm not like a vamp I have to sleep sometimes." Duo smiled, he had been wary of the boy but now he thought that maybe that was mostly due to Heero's strong reaction to him. He liked the cowboy, at least he wasn't another doppelganger or a werewolf or something else like that. Not that Rashid wasn't cool, he liked that guy a lot, he was just happy to see a 'normal' human face.

"So what are all these things? No wooden stakes or garlic necklaces?" Duo threw a crooked smile at the cowboy and even Trowa had to laugh a little at the offhand comments Duo threw out. He had been involved in the vampire world for so long that he had almost forgotten about all the Hollywood that surrounded it.

"Yeah those are myths, though I'm pretty sure if you shoved a big wooden stick through anybody's chest they probably wouldn't survive." Wufei laughed and Duo tried to hold back his own chuckle, he could see that Trowa found the whole conversation amusing even though he refrained comment. "Buta stake'snot guaranteed to kill a vampire. It's all folklore except for that whole focus on the heart thing, that's true enough. The curse originated from the heart after all so it's the center of the vamps power. But really weak vamps can be killed just like any other person, they just don't age. For a stronger one a couple of direct shots to the heart with Holy Bullets or a good dose of Holy light will do the trick. But there's really no guaranteed way to do it. Especially forDilluvians...they take the whole immortality thing to the extreme." Duo thought about this as he poked one of the bottles that Wufei had pulled from his pocketbut Wufei reached over quick and grabbed the bottle away from him.

"Don't touch that! You trying to get into Hell?" Duo ripped his hand back and stared at it like it was infected.

"What is it?" He asked, maybe it was some kind of cool anti-vamp potion that worked like acid when it touched their skin and melted them. Or it contained liquid fire from Hell itself that burned vampires to a crisp. He was intrigued and frightened at the same time.

"Holy water. Could baptize you Catholic." Duo stared at the guy for second, he looked so serious but there was that twinkle of amusement in his eye again. Dou smirked at the cowboy and Wufei smiled back in good humor. Then they both burst out laughing.

"I was actually raised for a while by a catholic church." Duo said once he caught his breath again.Wufei raised one delicately arched eyebrow and Duo had to laugh. He thought that he would just sit here and get one shock after the other from the cowboy but he never thought that he would get a turn to shock the boy in return. Must be odd that a good catholic boy would have nothing but vamps for friends, but he was starting to kind of like the idea of how 'interesting' his life was becoming not that it totally lacked excitement before but nothing like this. Wufei set the bottle back down and rummaged through his stuff. He picked up a big silver gun and spun out the large ammunition chamber then pulled out one of the thumb-sized bullets that was in it. There were carvings of crosses and other strange symbols all over the little projectile. Wufei held it up for him to look at.

"Forged in Holy water by a man of the cloth. Each symbol has its own power in it so wherever the vamp is weak one of these symbols will react to that weakness. Whether the vamp's weak against fire, heaven, or light this little baby will find out and use it to destroy him." Duo stared at the bullet like if he touched it then it would know all his secrets. Wufei smirked and leaned in close to Duo, the braided boy moved away and Trowa chuckled.

"He's just messing with you. Both he and his lover enjoy toying with the minds of those around them." Duo looked at Wufei who had a shameless grin on his face. He should have been frightened by the boy but he still liked him. He too enjoyed a good mind fuck every now and then though it wasn't often that he was on the receiving end of it.

"Why do you wear so many crosses if you have sucha complex with organized religion." Wufei looked down at all the pieces of catholic insignia he was adorned with. He frowned a little, not wanting to lose the good humor of the conversation, he knew that when people got turned or became a nag'nul that all they wanted was a little normalcy in their lives and the last thing Duo needed was a breakdown of all the loopholes and backdoors of organized religion. So he stuck with the simple answer.

"If a vampire had reverence for the cross in life then as one of the undead crosses affect him physically depending on the severity of his devotion to it. A man who prayed to a cross everyday and had one in every room and practically treated it like it was his religion would become physically ill as a vampire in its presence. For someone who just wore a cross or had a little veneration for it then he would probably be only slightly distracted by it's presence. Heero, for example, doesn't even pay them slightest attention same as in life." Duo sat silent for a long time and considered what that implied about Heero Yuy as a man. But even Duo had lost his faith for a while. He had only believed in death because he was surrounded by it...guess he still was. But he had matured and realized that he couldn't rely on God to do everything for humanity, they had to learn from their own mistakes or they would just keep repeating them. And for some reason without that burden of a God that had the final say in all that existed, he felt his faith slowly returning to him. Maybe he was more of an agnostic then anything else, but he was pretty sure that having faith meant having doubt otherwise it would be fact. But he could see how a man who had lived with a curse of immortality for as long as Heero had, could lose faith in something that could onlybe seenafter you died. But Heero hadn't even had faith before that. Or maybe he had, after all Duo was pretty sure Heero was from Japan and he knew he was very old. So if he did have a religion it was probably Buddhism or whatever the religion of Japan was in those days. Not htat it really mattered, hedidn't really likereligious people anyway they were supposed to about a God, but God says to love your neighbor and those old churchhags do nothing but persecute. They judge a man based on what he isn't instead of loving him for who he is, and Duo just couldn't understand that. Duo searched the room and spotted Heero in a corner with a very animated Quatre talking to him.

"Heero I didn't want Wufei to tell you, but there's something you should know." It was the unreasonable fear emanating off of Quatre that made Heero feel just a little nervous. Quatre never got upset, he always kept a cool head and made the best strategy. So what had scared him so bad that he couldn't even get out a straight sentence? Heero stared at him waiting for him to continue. Quatre had paused waiting for Heero's response but gave up pretty quick when he remembered that was waiting for _Heero's_ response.

"Treize and Wufei went to Rome last week." Quatre paused again and Heero was getting impatient. What the hell did all this matter anyway? Did something happen or not, he would think that if it were bad enough Quatre would have come right out and said it unless it was terrifying Quatre enough that he couldn't find a way to.

"So." Heero finally responded when Quatre didn't continue. The blonde's aquamarine eyes bugged like he expected Heero to understand everything now. Great now the blonde was frustrating him and making him feel like an idiot.

"Heero, the house…your house." The house in Rome, it had been a long time since he had been inside. Not since Dilluvia had disappeared inside the master bedroom. Heero looked tiredly at Quatre.

"What about it." Had something happened to his house, that couldn't be possible Dilluvia had placed a lot of spells and enchantments on the house so that nobody could go near it except himself and Heero. So unless Zeus himself had come out of his clouds and shot his lightning bolts at it, he seriously doubted that anything had happened to it.

"There was a light on in his bedroom. Wufei and Treize both saw it and that's why they came back early, to warn us. Do you know what that means?" Quatre expected Heero to do something. Heero never showed fear but he thought the boy would at least start making plans to find out what was going on. If it meant what Quatre thought it meant, then Heero should be a lot more freaked out than he was right now. Heero just shook his head and looked warily at the boy.

"Their just screwing with your head Quatre, you know they love to do it." Quatre was already shaking his head before Heero had finished the sentence.

"Look Quatre, I've tried to take you inside so you know first hand that Dilluvia's spells still work. No one can get into that house except me."

"And Dilluvia." Quatre added with significance. Heero almost laughed.

"You think Dilluvia's back. Quatre if he came back don't you think I would know. I was always able to sense him no matter where he was on the planet." Quatre looked angry at Heero's levity of attitude about the whole situation. If Dilluvia was back then the world as they knew it would no longer exist. Dilluvia had dreams of a world ruled by vampires where he was king and Quatre was pretty sure that he had wanted Heero at his side.

"Look you know as well as I do that Treize can screw with your mind and will but Wufei only does it for fun and he always tells you when something serious is going on." Heero was silent for a while. It was true that Wufei understood where to draw the line unlike his vampire boyfriend. Heero really didn't dislike Wufei just the fact that his presence meant that Treize was close by.

"Alright I'll check around with my sources in that area, but Quatre if he were back I would know it. His spell just probably wore off." Though Heero didn't really believe that argument. Dilluvia's spells had lasted for and entire millennia why would they all fall apart now? But he didn't sense anything at all, was it possible that wherever Dilluvia had gone made it so that he could no longer sense him?

"That's another thing I've always wondered about Heero. If he were truly gone then why would his spells remain? Wouldn't you have been freed and all vampires returned to human?" Heero just shrugged, those questions had plagued his mind as well but he just figured that it was because Dilluvia's power lived on in all the vamps he had created even though that really didn't explain why.

"I'll have it checked out okay, don't start worrying until we know we have to. You have to keep a cool head." Quatre nodded but Heero could see the slight shake run through his body. "And Quatre, don't tell Duo about this until we're certain it's a serious problem." Quatre nodded again, it wouldn't be good to worry the boy since he was so new to all of this and he still hadn't even had time to adjust to this new world. They began heading back towards the table and Quatre couldn't help but giggle when Heero growled at the sight of Wufei with his arm around Duo showing him something that looked like a silver ball and when he twisted it just slightly a small light emitted. Heero recognized it as one of the vampire hunter's Holy light bombs. He frowned even more when he got close and Wufei winked at him them grabbed his largest gun and held it out to Duo.

"You wanna hold my gun?" The hunter asked with a leering smirk and Duo, who was so distracted by all the unique objects in front of him that he hadn't noticed Heero's approach, reached out and ran a finger down the length of the barrel in a way that made Wufei waggle his eyebrows at Heero. The vampire couldn't deny that the way Duo moved sometimes was so unintentionally erotic that Heero had been having a hard time keeping control over himself around the boy…no pun intended. Duo held the gun in his hand for minute and the whole time Wufei just smirked at Heero's obvious discomfort, then the braided boy set it down and the cowboy leaned in and whispered something to the boy that made him look in Heero's direction. He blushed just slightly and to anybody but Heero it would have been lost in the dimly lit room. Heero growled under his breath wondering what mind games Wufei was playing now.

Heero and Quatre sat down at the table. Quatre took the spot next to Trowa and leaned his head against the taller boy's chest and Heero sat down next to Duo giving Wufei a glare that sent the hunter scooting closer to Trowa. Heero then pulled Duo closer to him and sent chilling stares around the bar, but Duo could tell that Heero was once again scanning the room at the same time. Duo stretched out his neck and looked around, trying to see what had been distracting Heero all night since they saw Wufei sitting here. Heero turned his head andstopped breathing whenhe nearly bumped into Duo's graceful neck and jaw. He took a firm hold of the cushiony seat beneath him and tried to ignore the sudden urge to taste the boy's wonderful essence once more, lord buthe was addicted to the guy.

Quatre watched as this happened and felt the Heero's response. He looked over to Duo who was being so openly tempting to his companion and was shocked to see that the spot where Heero had bit him was already perfectly healed, not a blemish in sight.

"Duo your neck!" He blurted before he could stop himself. Duo put a hand around his neck feeling for whatever Quatre was freaking out about. Quatre felt bad when he saw a look of horror pass over the boy's handsome features.

"No nothing's wrong, it's just that your wounds have healed in a day. That's highly unusual." Duo looked over to Heero and found that he too was now examining his neck with what Duo thought might be concern on his face but it passed too quickly.

"It usually takes me a week or so and we've probably already well…refreshed them." Trowa added when the table was silent. Duo stared around at all the people that were looking at him like _he_ was the most unusual thing they had ever seen, which almost made Duo laugh out loud. Then an idea struck him.

"So that explains why I never see you in anything but a turtleneck." Trowa smiled faintly but no one else had been distracted. They were all still staring at the spot on his neck where Heero's teeth marks had been, except Wufei who was looking all over his neck since he didn't know where the bite had been.

"Look it's probably just 'cuz of that whole power transfer thing you talked about Quatre. I mean I still sort of feel them in me and since Heero can heel a knife wound in a minute I guess even in me his power is strong enough to heal pretty quickly." Which was a good thing now that Duo thought about, since he had worked in the bar all afternoon and it would have looked weird if he had these weird puncture marks as he served beer to the patrons. He had forgotten all about the bite mark though, he had been in such a hurry to make his shift.

"Well that's even more unusual, you should have slept them off last night." Quatre said sounding worried.

"Well Heero's a strong vampire right so his power lasts longer." Duo was totally making this up, but hell all this vamp mumbo jumbo sounded like somebody was just making it up as they went anyway. His answer actually seemed to placate the group, all except Heero who still stared at him but the look in the vampire's face made a shiver run down Duo's spine and it felt good. There was almost a want, a hunger in Heero's eyes and Duo found it hard to resist giving in to whatever the boy wanted from him.

The two were so caught up in the confusing emotions they were receiving from each other that they didn't notice the approach of a tall man with slicked back light brown hair and attractive blue eyes, though no where near as striking as Heero's icy blue. He wore a black ribbed turtleneck and a long dark brown leather jacket. He slid up to the table overflowing with confidencebut it wasn't untilhe hadwinked at the Chinese cowboy when Duo noticed his appearance.

"Oh, hey there." Duo said and extended his hand to shake just as Wufei had done to him already forgetting the rule he had just learned. Duo felt Heero's whole body tense up and he slowly turned his head to glare at the man standing beside the table. He would never understand this man and he hated things he didn't understand. Which was why Duo was even more unusual, he didn't think he would ever understand the braided boy but that fact only intrigued him more. Heero watched with a stare that could burn holes, as the man that Duo assumed was Treize by Heero's reaction reached out for Duo's hand. Everyone held their breath as Treize's steady hand moved closer to touching Duo's elegantly long fingers. Duo watched in slow motion as the man's hand came within centimeters of his flesh, wasn't this man a vampire? Yes he had to be, he felt just like Heero and yet so different. Duo wassurprised that he could sense the unnatural power in this man it must be strong...another Dilluvian, he was sure this time.The hand stopped and instead of shaking Duo's, Treize let his hand wander up Duo's arm never touching him. He traveled towards the boy's neck then up to his face and just before he passed over Duo's lips Heero's hand shot out and grabbed the man nearly breaking his wrist but the guy didn't flinch. This man called Treize just drew his hand back and smiled the same way Wufei had smiled at him earlier. Wufei too was smirking at the display. Had this been some kind of personal challenge to Heero? Duo sat dumbfounded by the entire transaction, he had met a lot of weird characters lately so Treize wasn't that big of a shock it was Heero's protective reaction that had him stumped. It's not like Treize could touch him so what's with the violent reaction, was it jealousy? From Heero…nah.

"I haven't seen you around here. How did someone like Heero Yuy, who takes grouchiness to a whole new level, find such a beautiful warm soul such as yourself." The low growl in Heero's voice was almost audible to even those at the table that didn't have super sensitive vampire hearing. Duo tried to smile politely but there was something about the man that just made him uncomfortable. It could have been the egocentric vibes that were wafting offof himbut there was something else. Something in his disarming charm that told Duo he should be wary. His street instincts were kicking in and he subconsciously scooted a little closer to Heero. Heero's glare was stopping people across the room even Treize's smooth operation halted a little. There was a long silence until finally poor Quatre, the communicator, cleared his throat and everyone looked at him. He smiled and it was obvious that he had no idea what he was doing. He was just trying to break the silence. He turned to Trowa for help and the silent boy just stared at him with an eyebrow quirked. Then it hit him that Quatre actually needed help, he cleared his throat too and stared at his boyfriend.

"Uhm…Quatre…would you…like to…dance?" He finally got out and hoped that it was kind of in the direction that Quatre wanted. The blonde's eyes lit up and Trowa sighed with relief.

"I would love to." Quatre happily took his boyfriend's hand and they made their way to the small dance floor where they immediately converged to each other. Duo turned away, it was like watching his best friend have sex the way Quatre dipped delicate fingers under the top of Trowa's turtleneck. He looked back to Heero who was still glaring for all his worth at Treize, but the older man just smiled and winked at Wufei again.

"How about you dragon? Care to dance?" Treize's smooth voice washed over the table and Wufei followed that enticing melody out to the dance floor with the other couple. Their dancing was less blatantly sexual and much more a delicate battle for dominance. This left Heero and Duo all alone and sitting uncomfortably close to each other at the empty table. They sat there in silence nervously glancing at each other and their friend's that were practically molesting each other in public.

"I'm sorry I brought you here. It was just supposed to be Trowa and Quatre and you were supposed to feel normal again. I guess I can't expectnormalcy in one night when I haven't foundit in a millennia." Duo smiled, he liked it when he and Heero were alone the guy opened up a lot more.

"You wanna know a secret? I did feel normal, it was only for a second but…thanks." Duo smiled brightly at Heero and the vampire felt warmed, like the sun but better. He had never felt this way, he didn't even think he had felt like this when he was alive. He didn't know what was happening to him and for once he coulnd't care less.

"Hey, you wanna…" Heero motioned behind him with his thumb and Duo laughed that the great vampire prince couldn't even ask a boy to dance. Oops, he hoped Heero didn't hear that thought, but he didn't think so. It seemed that Heero was getting better control especially at night. Duo noticed that Heero was looking at him like he was crazy and then he realized that he had just laughed at the boy and not said anything. Great now Heero thinks he's been shot down. Duo finished berating himself and smiled at the vampire.

"That sounds good."

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Alright next chapter-plot twist. Yay! hank you to everyone who reviewed and especially those who asked questions, though a few of you hit a little close to home...ehem. You know who you are - ravel queen, Shi - stop predicting the character I'm bringing in or things I'm going to explain the chapter before I do it. Ha ha just kidding please continue to guess it's fun, this plot twist is for you guys. Can you predict where I'm going? Anyway hope you like the semi twist in this chapter and I hope you'll like next chapter. See you then. 


	5. Blood Shot World

So you would think that with the school year ending that I'd update quicker but what do I go and do? Take summer school because I just have to take these extra classes or my life will not be complete. I don't even understand why I did it, it seemed a good idea at the time. Can't for the life of me remember why now. Well this is the end of the club, it didn't turn out the way I wanted and I'll probably get my ass kickked off of for the dance scene, it's nothing serious but man their getting on people. I meanthey took down smells like teen spirit, no one is safe. Well there's my rant for the afternoon, I need a nap.

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The Cursed No More

Blood Shot World

The club was just a little darker than your average nightclub and midnight blue shadows flashed and changed direction as the lights pulsed with the music. Sweaty half naked bodies were entwined and sliding against each other. The rock techno music pounded through the floor and Duo could feel it vibrating in his body. He grabbed the vampire prince's hand and led him straight into the center of the small sea of writhing bodies. The crowd watched them as they went and whispers followed them all the way onto the dance floor. But once they were there the throbbing music drowned out the suspicious hissing and Duo stopped caring about their unnerving interest in he and Heero as he let the music take over his body. The pulsating beat reverberated through his veins until it felt like his heart was pounding in time with the music. Duo stopped abruptly and Heero almost plowed right into him, so much for that unnatural vampire grace. The braided boy whipped around, his braid brushing across the handsome vampire's abdomen as he twirled. Heero stood awkwardly in the middle of the dance floor for a second before he realized how ridiculous this was. This was his scene and yet Duo seemed more comfortable surrounded by the pack of vampires.

And just like that he was back in his element. Duo had been throwing him off his game since he had met the boy, but tonight Duo was going to know what it was like to be the focus of one of the most feared vampires on the planet. Duo watched with wide eyes as Heero's whole attitude seemed to switch, the boy stood taller and walked seductively to stand just centimeters away from the violet eyed boy's body. Duo stared with his mouth just slightly open as a sexy smirk found its way to Heero's handsome face. There was a predatory gleam in his eyes as a flash of silver passed through them and the boy practically radiated sex. He wrapped his arms around Duo's body and pulled him tightly to his own. Duo still couldn't get his mouth to close after Heero's sudden burst of aggressiveness, but the vampire took care of that. One delicate ancient finger trailed down Duo's jaw and rested just under his chin. It paused there for a while then Heero pushed Duo's mouth closed and let his hand wander and burry itself in the mass of hair it found at the base of the boy's neck. Heero stared into Duo's eyes and so very slowly moved just once, sliding his hip into Duo's body. When the boy responded hesitantly it was like the dam that was holding the pulsing music back broke and the two boys flowed together with the beat.

Everything around them dropped out of existence, they couldn't even hear the music they could just feel it. Duo slid one leg in between Heero's and they slipped even closer together until they were practically riding each other on the dance floor. Duo's mind was clouded with a heady addiction to the way Heero moved against his body. The vampire let his fingers wander around his beauty's back toying with the braid whenever it brushed against his knuckles. Duo felt his knees going week at the feather light touches that were circling his lower back. Heero moved his head down towards the crook of Duo's neck and inhaled the boy's unique and intoxicating scent. He could feel the boy's heart beating in time with music and the blood that rushed through his beauty's body with every pump. He could feel the aching desire burning deep in his fangs as they protruded of their volition.

He hadn't been so out of control around anyone before, out of old habit his breathing became ragged as he forced the extended teeth back down to their normal size. His body trembled at the effort it took to keep himself from sinking his fangs in and satisfying this unnervingly strong thirst. Duo shivered as the vampire's shuttering breaths passed over his heated skin. He closed his eyes and tried to control the deep yearning his body had to just let the vampire take whatever he wanted. He wasn't sure how but he could sense Heero's lust for his blood and it turned him on for reason's he couldn't explain. What kind of sick pervert was he? His breaths became shallow and he ground his hips harder into Heero's body. The vampire let out a low guttural moan that sounded more like a growl and responded with his own thrust as he continued to slide up and down Duo's leg. Heero growled again but it was much more predatory and he flipped Duo around and pulled him up against his body until there was no space to be found between them. He let his hands wander down hid beauty's body until they rested on the boy's hipbones letting his thumbs dip below the boy's pant lines. The sharp breath Duo took brought them closer together and the small moan that escaped from the braided boy's mouth had more than Heero's teeth aching with need. He ground against Duo and rubbed his tongue over his fangs to try and ease the pain but he knew the only thing that could stop it was to taste the boy.

There was no way in Hell he was going to do that.

A small cough to Heero's left halted his dancing with Duo as the world fell back into place and the realization of everything he and Duo had been doing came rushing back. He awkwardly stepped away from the braided boy, he hadn't meant to let it go that far. To his left Wufei stepped out of the shadows and Heero realized that the song was over and he had no idea for how long but it was definitely a different one playing now. Duo turned around to face the two boys but he didn't look directly at either of them. Heero's sensitive eyes once again picked up the light flush that stained the boy's cheeks. Heero couldn't stop the smirk. Wufei glanced between the two but decided to not say anything…yet. Besides he had serious things to discuss with the vampire.

"Yuy, I hear you don't believe me about Rome. I think we should have a little talk. I'll even let you read my memories." Wufei said disgusted by the thought of allowing a vampire into his head. He removed one of the rare amulets around his neck. This one prevented anything from reading his thoughts, vamps included.

"Do you really think that little toy has any affect on me." Heero growled and grabbed the vampire hunter by the collar pushing him out of Duo's hearing range. He bared his fully extended fangs angrily at the boy and even Wufei had to admit how intimidating he could be. Heero was so angry that Quatre had spoken to Wufei and even angrier that Wufei had ignored his wishes for Duo to not be involved in this.

"If you must speak to me then can we do so in private, you idiot." Heero's harsh whisper had a bit of a hiss to it and his eyes angrily flashed with a cold silver that only made Wufei realize how long the boy had been a vampire. Only the oldest vampire's had perfect command of all the supernatural intimidation a vampire possessed. Heero glanced over his shoulder at Duo who was standing there fidgeting with the end of his braid. Wufei noticed the slight hint of concern that passed across the vampire prince's face and to say Wufei was shocked was the understatement of the century. What affect had that boy had on the ancient vampire that emotions actually be present on the immortal's face? For as long as Wufei had known Heero he had seriously doubted that there was any humanity left in the vampire. But here he was actually showing concern for another living creature. Wufei wondered briefly if this was the same vampire that just days ago had callously watched while the hunter had shot and killed three of his kind. Was this the same vamp who cared so little about life that he didn't even bother to sustain his own? Who lived day to day as though he were a machine programmed to do so with absolutely no empathy or emotion.

"Alright let's talk in the back. I want to know why you need your contacts. I know we don't get along but my word is solid and you know that." Heero nodded at the serious tone in Wufei's voice. He did want to ask the hunter a few questions so that he could have all the details ready when he got in contact with the girls in Rome.

"Duo, Wufei and I need to discuss some things. I'll be back shortly." Even though Heero's tone sounded cold an uncaring he was actually a little reluctant to leave the boy alone in the club, most vamps were trustworthy but that didn't mean there wasn't a little bit of a risk. But Duo just smiled and waved him on saying that he'd be fine. Heero debated for a second but decided that Duo could probably take care of himself considering he worked nights in that bar with Howard. He and Wufei headed to a cushioned area near the back but neither sat down. Duo could tell even from this distance that their discussion was pretty serious and he wondered what Heero was hiding from him. And what had Wufei meant when he said Heero could read memories?

Duo stood uncomfortably on the dance floor for a second and looked around him, there was no sign of Quatre or Trowa anywhere and people were still staring at him. As he walked off the dance stage he could feel their eyes burning holes in his back. Couples would stop dancing as he passed them on his way and they would watch him leave like wild animals watching their prey, licking their chops and everything. He glanced over to a dark corner and two young girls turned to stare right back at him. They had bright red blood running down their chins and the man sitting in between them had a pair of twin puncture wounds on either sides of his neck. He also had the hugest grin on his face and that's what actually made the braided boy pause for a little. He wondered briefly if the man even knew where he was or if the girls had him under the same mind spell that Heero had shown him that afternoon. The strangest part of all this was he didn't feel even the slightest bit afraid. Maybe this was Heero's confidence seeping into him, or maybe just the fact that Heero was only a few feet away and everyone in here was afraid of him that was making him fearless.

The braided nag'nul stepped up to the bar counter and tapped the wood for assistance. A large man with bleached out flame red streaked hair walked over and asked him what he wanted. He ordered a simple drink and downed it almost immediately enjoying the burn that traveled down his esophagus. When he turned around he was faced a young vampire couple. They were smiling at him eerily with fangs protruded just enough to push dents in their bottom lips. The girl ran her tongue over her fangs and stepped closer to him.

"Wanna' join our party, hun?" She winked at him and leaned in so dangerously close that Duo stopped breathing. He noticed that she didn't breath, not once. Heero breathed regularly but he supposed that the vampire probably didn't actually need to but he could imagine that it would be a difficult habit to break. The young man that was with her leaned in closer as well, he took a deep breath but Duo got the distinct feeling that he was being smelled. And not just him, the guy was smelling his blood. Ok so it's definitely only the thought of Heero biting him that did anything for him, these two just gave him the willies.

That's when it happened, the guy just leaned in and before Duo knew what was going on the vampire was convulsing on the floor like shocks were pulsing through his body. Duo felt a slight burning pain lance through his spine but that was all. The vampire continued to writhe on the floor and Duo couldn't think of anything to do he just stared at him with fear. He didn't know how to help but he felt he should try. He was afraid to touch the boy but nobody else seemed to even care that the guy was having convulsions on the dirty nightclub floor. The girl standing next to him sighed loudly with an air of boredom. Duo stared at her like she was a monster, didn't she care what happened to this guy. What the hell had happened?

"Don't worry he does this all the time, he loves to try and break bonds. He's masochistic in the worst way." She yawned as the vampire's convulsions slowed down. The guy stood back up on trembling legs with a big grin on his face.

"Wow that was a rush, best one yet. You must be bound to a Dilluvian or something. I've never felt anything quite like that. I didn't even touch you, it's like it could sense my intent. That's a damn strong bond you got there." Duo couldn't even form words. That was not normal even for vampires, it couldn't be. The girl grabbed the other guy's arm and started yanking him back to whatever shadow they had lurched from muttering something about the guy had had his fun limit for the night. Fun? Duo instantly started scanning the room for Heero once they were out of sight and found the boy in the same place he had left him. Those striking midnight blue eyes were trained intensely on the longhaired student instead of Wufei and the cowboy had a firm grip on the vampire's arm like he was restraining him. He also noticed that a third member had joined their group. Treize was saying something to Heero that the vampire obviously didn't like at all then the older looking man waved the boy off nonchalantly and started walking towards Duo. The college student watched the man's approach with trepidation, unsure of what other surprises awaited him tonight.

"I told Heero I'd watch over you while he and Wufei finished their discussion." The man with ginger hair slid one hand through the perfectly combed short locks. "He was ready to come over here and rip the head off the guy that tried to touch you, but I kept him in check. It's just Dante's way, strange little man." Treize commented like it was the weather and grinned cheekily at his stunned companion. Duo couldn't say anything he did mental check on himself to make sure he wasn't going into shock or something. He didn't think so but then again then next thing he knew he had agreed to dance with the hunter's boyfriend.

"Well my boy has left me to play with yours, so I think I'll borrow you while he's away." Treize said smoothly as Duo followed him onto the dance floor. They couldn't really dance with each other just next to each other, but it did help get Duo's mind off of the weird night. Treize got as close as he could to the boy without actually touching him, he wasn't used to having to worry about being hit with binding but Heero was, although he hated to admit it, much stronger than any other vampire on the planet and Treize knew that he couldn't just ignore that boy's bond.

"How did Heero know the guy had tried to touch me?" Duo asked over the pounding music when he noticed Treize surreptitiously creeping closer to him as they danced.

"Did you feel anything when Dante came at you?" Treize asked with a small glint in his eye. Duo thought about it for a second, he hadn't felt fear or disgust. He hadn't felt anything. It had all happened so fast. Wait, what about the second of pain that felt like the burn when he drank his vodka except that it flashed down his spine instead of his throat. Is that what Treize was talking about? Duo looked up at the elegant man and the vampire smiled knowingly.

"It's like a car alarm, let's Heero know his property is being messed with." Duo frowned at the way Treize spoke about Heero. Heero wasn't like that. But he couldn't help the voice in the back of his mind that told him that what Treize said was in some way true. He had had enough dancing for the night. For some reason he didn't feel very good anymore, the night had been getting steadily worse and he really just wanted to go home. Yeah, he had enough of the night it had definitely turned into a hellish one. Treize seemed to sense the change in Duo, the boy's aura as growing a little dimmer. He smiled mischievously, the night was playing into his hands. With Duo's mind preoccupied he would be able to penetrate it easier and maybe find a loophole in the bond. After all he was the second strongest vampire in the world and although he didn't really even begin to compare to Heero's power, if anyone could get around the bond it would be him. And there was something about this boy that was driving Treize up a wall. His aura was almost infectious. Just to be near it made him feel alive like he hadn't in centuries. He was drawn to the boy like a moth to a flame he just hoped that getting to close to this light wouldn't mean his end.

Treize let a half grin cross his features as he fixed Duo with a gripping stare. The boy smiled back nervously but couldn't tear his eyes away from those sharp blue orbs. He found himself thinking that there was something ancient in them like Heero's but nowhere near the amount of swirling confined emotion that Heero's stormy eyes held. And also nowhere near that beautiful shade of blue that only Heero's had. Duo got a little nervous when a flash of silver shot through the vampire's gaze. He felt the edges of his eyesight get dimmer but still he couldn't look away from the man's entrancing stare. His vision grew progressively dimmer and he noticed a frightening silence of all the noise in the club but still he couldn't look away. Treize was surprised at how well the boy resisted the influence he was putting on his mind. For a second he thought he was going to loose his hold on the boy but when Duo started feeling confused and a little afraid Treize knew he could use that to his advantage. Though it was surprising how little fear Duo had, his control over his body's reactions was almost as unnatural as a vampire's.

Duo thought he was blacking out but his vision never fully clouded over, in fact it was starting to clear up but was something was wrong and he couldn't figure out what. He was in his room studying for that upcoming statics test, but nothing was unusual or out of place. Now why had he thought he was going to black out, he couldn't remember? He looked at his alarm clock; two a.m. maybe he had been studying for too long and almost fell asleep? That sounded plausible but something about it didn't feel right. He felt something tugging at the corner of his brain that told him something was still missing. But he was in his room, everything he owned was right here so what could he be missing? Quatre was gone and that was unusual, maybe that's what was bugging him? Where had Quatre gone anyway, and why couldn't he remember when Quatre had left? Wait it was two o' clock in the morning Quatre was never gone this late. What the hell was going on? Maybe he had fallen asleep and this some weird dream. And that damn nagging was still in the back of his mind what the hell could it be? It made him feel like he shouldn't be studying, like there was something more important but he couldn't remember what it was. Something had happened…it was there in his mind somewhere but he couldn't reach it. He wasn't supposed to be here, there was somewhere else he should be. Somewhere dark, why would he want to go somewhere dark? He slammed his book closed and found it strange that even though the heavy book should have made a loud slam the noise had sounded quieted or distanced.

He closed his eyes and relied on his old street instincts, he listened closely for anything that sounded out of the ordinary. When nothing seemed wrong he decided that he should try to isolate whatever was pulling at the edges of his thoughts. He started taking slower deeper breaths and focused on the feeling that he was forgetting something. It was like when you couldn't remember the title of the song you had just heard on the radio but you knew that you had known it just a few minutes ago. He concentrated until he wasn't even aware of his surroundings and only that empty whole in his mind mattered. He kept focusing until finally a pair of deep ocean blue eyes flashed across the black of his closed eyelids. They seemed so familiar. He focused even harder on them and a face began to materialize but something stopped it like there was some outside force trying to stop him from remembering. He opened his eyes frustrated at the whole situation and how stupid it was that he was trying to remember something when he didn't even know what it was he wanted to remember. He stood up from his desk and wandered around his room in a little bit of a daze, this place just didn't feel like home to him like it usually did. He slumped over in front of his mirror. He had to see, he had to make sure he was real. He stared hard at himself in the mirror, he couldn't focus it was like there was this constant cloud in his mind and it was getting stronger. It was keeping him from forming any real coherent thoughts.

He couldn't find anything wrong in the mirror. He looked pretty solid, but something was off. His hair looked a little rough like he had just spent the whole night at Howard's bar or something. He tried to at least sweep the stray pieces off his face and neck while he looked for his brush when something about the movement caught his eye. He could have sworn he briefly saw two small red spots right at the base of his neck, but they were gone now. He stared at his neck in deep concentration, repeatedly running his fingers over the spot where he had seen the marks but he felt nothing there. He finally decided he was just seeing things and he forced himself to stop playing with his neck but when he looked away and examined his full self in the mirror again this time he was startled to see another person in the mirror. It was that face with those shocking blue eyes. He was standing behind Duo using the mirror to look straight into the boy's eyes. The young man was so gorgeous that Duo decided he definitely must be dreaming. The man's otherwise impassive face lightened lightly as the faintest hint of smile passed over it for just a fraction of a second and that's when a name entered his mind. Heero. He turned around but the boy had disappeared. He looked around the room and spotted something that seemed out of place, there was a knife on Quatre's table and blood was dripping from it. And it was just like a trigger was pulled in his brain, he remembered everything. Heero was a vampire and he had bitten Duo and they had gone to a vampire safe house together that looked like a nightclub inside and that's where he was supposed to be. So how did he end up here? What was this place? It had to be an illusion but how did he end up in an illusion and more importantly how did he get out?

"Heero!" He yelled for the only person he thought could help him.

"Heero where are you. I can't find you." When Heero had appeared even though he was an illusion Duo had felt better, safer. He called out for the boy again and again, he didn't know what else to do, his mind felt clearer every time he said the handsome vampire's name so he just kept calling out for the boy. He heard his voice getting more desperate every time he called out but got no answer. He stared around his room and ran to the door trying to open it but he was locked in and for some reason he knew that there was no way out. He felt trapped and alone. It had been along time since he had felt like this. He was actually afraid and he wanted to get out of here more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. He turned back to the mirror and there was Heero, just standing there looking grumpy as usual but his hand was extended like he expected Duo to follow him. Duo paused for a second, unsure of what to do but since it was Heero he trusted him and he walked over to the mirror.

Back in the nightclub Treize couldn't believe how strong the bond between Heero and Duo was. He couldn't find any break in it anywhere. It was totally solid but what was even stranger was the bright glowing aura that surrounded the boy seemed to be protecting the bond making it impossible to get close enough to try to bypass it. Treize was starting to think that it was pointless to keep trying when he felt Duo pushing the vampire out of his mind.

'What the hell?' Treize thought. There was no way that some mortal had that kind of power or psychic awareness. It just wasn't possible and yet he could feel Duo slowly destroying his illusion, he could feel the boy regaining possession of areas of his mind that Treize had shut him out of and even more shocking was that the boy was actually blocking the vampire back out of his mind. Who the hell was this kid? He decided to try to keep his hold on the boy's mind as long as he could, test the boy's abilities.

Heero's head shot up from Wufei's frowning face when he could have sworn he heard Duo calling him and the boy sounded a little scared. Wufei looked at Heero oddly, the vampire had the weirdest expression on his face, like he was actually concerned or something. Nah, Heero never worried about anything. Then all of a sudden the vampire just walked away into the crowd. Wufei stared after him unsure if he should follow or not. Something on the boy's face told him that this was a personal issue for Heero. They were done with their conversation anyway. Naturally, Heero had won and would be contacting his informants in Rome. Wufei really didn't expect otherwise the vampire was stubborn and didn't trust anyone but a small group that he had known for a very long time. It included Quatre, Trowa, a few girls in Rome, and a man in Japan.

Duo placed his hand on the mirror where Heero's hand was touching the glass on the other side. But nothing happened, absolutely nothing. Heero just stood there with no change in expression. Duo got frustrated and desperate, he needed to get of this place. Right now! He stared at Heero's expressionless face and it only made him angrier. Why wouldn't Heero help him? Was he just going to leave him to rot in this weird dream world? Deep down he just really wished that somebody was with him and to his surprise he found that he wanted it to be Heero. He gripped the edge of the dresser until his knuckles turned white he tried so hard to not get upset but he felt himself losing it. He lowered his head unable to look at the vampire any longer. He took deep breaths to get himself under control but it was no use. He squeezed his eyes shut tight to try and block everything out but it didn't help he felt like he was losing his mind. In his frustration he lashed out drastically and punched the mirror right where the fake Heero's face was. The glass blew apart with a loud smashing noise and the tinkling of glass hitting the floor. Duo watched as every time a piece of glass hit the floor it shattered a part of the illusion. The holes in the dream world kept growing sucking everything into it until he could finally see the safe house materializing in front of him. He almost cried he was so happy to see the dark creepy vampire hangout again. He watched as Treize materialized out of thin air and next to him Heero was yelling and practically snarling with fangs almost fully extended and eyes completely silver not a trace of blue in them anywhere. He would have been frightened to see the vampire like that if he hadn't been so glad to see a real solid Heero standing in front of him. And even better was there was some emotion displayed on his face instead of that blank stare the mirror was giving him. Although blank stares weren't unusual from the vampire it was good to see the boy reacting even if it was violently. Duo couldn't stop himself from laughing when Heero grabbed Treize by the collar still yelling at him and Treize just shrugged and pointed over to Duo.

Heero stared disbelievingly at Duo, Treize had put him under his mind influence but there the boy was with that sparkle back in his eyes and a small shy smile on his face. He looked as relieved as Heero felt. They stared at each other for a long time before Heero found he had his arms full of the braided boy. Duo held on to Heero as tight as he could, the solidness of him felt so good. He felt so safe. Humph, safe in the arms of a vampire, life couldn't get much stranger. Heero stood perfectly still, he didn't know what to do with the young man squeezing his waist but there was a sudden ache in his chest and for some reason it would twinge more painfully when he thought about the boy letting go. He looked down at the chestnut covered head the pressed itself to his chest and he couldn't explain the sudden protectiveness that swelled within him. Duo did let go eventually and Heero didn't let one ounce of the disappointment he felt show on his face. Why did it bother him anyway? He hated interactions with mortals, but Duo wasn't exactly mortal anymore. It didn't matter, he decided, and he pushed his thoughts away when he noticed the frown on his beauty's face.

Treize laughed at how easily the great vampire prince was thrown off by simple human contact. Heero growled and remembered that he had felt how Treize had just tried to break the bond and touch Duo. He whipped around on the other Dilluvian and bared his fangs once more. He growled low in his chest as he stalked forward then threw the older looking vampire up against a wall. Duo watched in shock as Heero grabbed the man's collar again and pushed him hard into the wall.

"How dare you." The handsome vampire ground out in low terrifying tones. "How dare you try to touch him." Treize smirked down at the little vampire prince. This was the first time in the centuries he had known the boy that he had ever been able to get a rise out of the stoic vamp. He knew that Heero was in a whole different class of power and that he didn't have a chance at fighting back, besides he hadn't really wanted anything from Duo it was the reaction from Heero that made it all worth it. Without even knowing it Heero had just proved what Treize had been suspecting since he first saw the vampire come in here with the braided ball of energy. Heero Yuy, the vampire king if he so chose to be, was learning to love. Even if he didn't know it yet.

"What do you want an apology? Fine, I'm sorry I messed with something that belongs to you." So their magical bond may be unbreakable but Treize was ready to test the bonds of their hearts. Heero's eyes narrowed dangerously until they were just two silver glowing slits, he didn't like the way Treize spoke of Duo. It was like he was trying to insult the vampire because they both knew that Heero didn't think like that. A noise behind Heero made him take his eyes off Treize for a second to look behind him but he was too late, Duo was gone. Heero searched the crowd but the boy was nowhere to be found.

Duo turned down another corridor. He had found a staircase in the back of the nightclub after he ran from Heero. These hallways seemed to go on forever and every time he tried a door they were all locked and not even his lock picking skills had been able to do anything about it. So he just kept turning down halls hoping that eventually he would find his way back out of this maze. He hadn't been able to stay near the vampire any longer, Treize had spoke about Duo like he was property and Heero hadn't denied it. He couldn't stand the fact that Heero thought of him that way and he had been practically falling for the stupid vampire. He felt like such a fool. He turned down yet another hallway. They were all starting to look the same to him, except that at the end of this one there was a door that was cracked slightly. He ran down to it, glad that something was finally different. The lights were on in the room and a sliver of yellow streaked across the dark wood of the hallway floor. This place really did look like it had once been a house. He eased the heavy door open and stared in wonder at the red velvet room he was looking at. He walked into it and ran his finger over one of the blood-red velvet chairs. It was covered in dust. The whole room was thick with the stuff.

At the far end of the room next to the big four-poster bed with red drapes was a large oak cabinet. In the center of the doors the carved head of a snarling gargoyle protruded. It's long bony fingers carved from dark wood linked together and held the doors shut. Without even thinking about it Duo stepped closer to it. He could sense something about this thing but couldn't figure out what. It was almost like the eyes of the monster on the doors were watching him with their blank wooden stare. He reached out and placed a hand atop one of the demon's and pulled the doors open. The beast almost looked like it was smiling as Duo pulled the doors apart to stare at his own reflection in an ancient looking bronze mirror.

Mirror! He gasped remembering how he finally got out if that weird illusion Treize had put him in. What was it with mirrors tonight? And before he could think that at least this one only reflected himself something pulsed in the mirror's reflection and the whole thing went black. 'Oh God,' he thought. 'I'm still in that damn dream world.' He watched with trepidation as a ghostly image began to take form in front of him. A young woman soon stood on the other side of the mirror's reflection. She was an attractive blonde with baby blue eyes and pretty pink lips. She smiled at him and he felt a little better.

"Duo." She spoke and he was shocked that she knew his name, but then again she was part of his illusion so why wouldn't she? He liked her soft voice, it was a little high pitched but still comforting in this dark and dusty place.

"I knew Heero a long time ago, we were friends in another life." She spoke again and Duo listened intently, her voice was soft but sad. "He cares for you Duo even if he can't say it, don't let anyone tell you otherwise." She smiled at him and he believed her, and suddenly all his worries about Treize seemed silly. It wasn't like Heero had said it himself it wasn't fair of him to put words in Heero's mouth.

"Duo, you are in danger. You are very special and the vampire's can sense it. None of them knows what you are though and that keeps you safe." She continued and her eyes looked worried.

"What am I?" He asked but she just shook her head.

"Not even you can know yet, it isn't safe. But I have something that can protect you until that time." He looked puzzled at her but she just smiled again and held up one hand. In it was a cross dangling from a chain. The religious symbol had been carved expertly out of a pure white gem. Duo stared at it but didn't know what he was supposed to do. She opened a drawer under the cabinet and slid it all the way out placing the necklace in the back then sliding it closed once again. She intimated with her hand that Duo should open the drawer. He did so, sliding it all the way out like she had and shoving his hand all the way to the back. After a few seconds of groping around his fingers brushed against something small and cold. When he pulled his hand out he was slightly shocked to find the necklace in it. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Put it on, it will keep you safe. And help Heero, he needs someone." Duo stared at the girl but put the necklace on. This all seemed so strange but everything seemed strange to him ever since he had met Heero. Besides, Wufei had been covered in these things so they had to be a little useful right? And the girl was just so nice. He nodded to her and with a small grateful smile she vanished and the room materialized again as well as his own reflection. He looked at the white gem around his neck and decided that he didn't want to have to try and explain this if it wasn't a dream so he slipped the cross beneath his shirt. It was strange but when the cool gem touched his skin he realized how tired he was from the whole night. In fact he suddenly became _really_ tired. The last thing he saw before he fell asleep where he stood was Heero looking shocked at the cabinet, which was closed again even though Duo couldn't remember closing it.

Heero ran over to the boy and caught him before he hit the floor. He held Duo close to him and glared at the cabinet. Could something have happened or was Duo just that tired? It _had_ been a long night. There was a small groan from the boy he held in his arms and Heero listened intently to the soft words.

"Can we go home now, please?" Duo sounded hoarse and the boy instantly passed out again when he finished his sentence. Heero felt bad, he had brought Duo here to show him that there was still places he could go and feel normal but everyone seemed so interested in Duo and he had no idea that Treize was going to be here. The vampire got way too much enjoyment out of testing people and pitting them against each other for his entertainment. The whole night had gone down the drain once that man had shown up and then that kid trying to touch Duo…this had all just been hell on earth. Why were they all so drawn to him, the old man was right. There was something about Duo that drove vampire's wild, but what? Heero decided that he had to protect Duo. It was his fault that Howard couldn't protect the boy anymore so he would take over for the old man starting with getting his braided beauty out of this hell hole. He had the distinct feeling he wouldn't be coming back here in a long time. That was fine with him, it had been his and Dilluvia's house a long time ago until Dilluvia had turned Treize then the house was given to that ass of a vampire and they had moved on. It didn't really hold anything for him, mostly just stuff he wanted to forget. It was odd though that Duo had been drawn straight to Dilluvia's old room. And that damn cabinet, Heero had always hated the thing. He knew Dilluvia used the mirror inside to communicate with other vampires, after all mirrors were how vamps had talked to each other before cell phones were invented, but he got the feeling that there was something more sinister waiting in that thing. Dilluvia had a lot of unfavorable acquaintances and he wasn't sure of all the things the mirror was capable of.

He carried the sleeping Duo downstairs and kept a straight face despite all the stares he was getting. He only hissed at a couple people as he made his way over to Quatre and Trowa who had found a dark corner with a lot of cushions to …get better acquainted. Since they knew each other better than anybody else Heero could only imagine what that involved. On second thought he didn't want to imagine it. Heero coughed loudly when he walked up to alert the couple of his approach, he still got treated to Quatre pulling his shirt back on. Public indecency should be a crime, oh wait it was. He thought sarcastically and rolled his eyes at the couple trying to look like nothing happened. Well Quatre was, Trowa just smirked at Heero's discomfort.

"I'm taking him home and I'm going to watch him tonight to make sure nothing happened to him." Heero said in a flat monotone but that didn't stop Quatre from worrying.

"What _did_ happen to him?" Quatre rushed over to Duo's sleeping from with panic in his wide teal eyes.

"He went upstairs and found Dilluvia's room. I don't know exactly what happened in there though but he passed out when I found him. He's probably just had a long night." Heero said calmly then after a pause he added. "It was a mistake to bring him here."

"I'll stay with Trowa tonight. You watch over him." Quatre looked at the sleeping face of his friend with pain in his eyes. Heero felt a sharp twinge of guilt but he was back in control now that he had a mission to get Duo out of here and he didn't let any of what he felt show on his face. He nodded to Trowa then turned and left the safe house avoiding Treize and Wufei on his way out. He jumped roof tops all the way back to the dorm to avoid the stares of strangers and easily unlocked the window to Duo's room with his mind. He dropped into the dorm with a silent thud and carefully lay his sleeping beauty down on the bunk bed. Heero hovered for a bit over Duo's sleeping from and started to raise one hand to brush away a few matted hairs that were clinging to the boy's face, but stopped himself. He pulled over a chair from Quatre's desk and sat down to watch the gray of morning slowly slip onto the edges of the horizon. Every once in a while he would steal a glance at the boy laying asleep in the bed next to him and wonder what the hell was happening to him... to both of them. The rest of the night he spent analyzing everything that had happened during the night including the information Wufei had given. What could it all mean?

It was about ten o' clock when Duo woke up, still fairly early by the braided boy's standards. He felt tired still but didn't want to lie in bed any longer. He stared at the bottom of Quatre's bunk for a while before he realized that there was no dent in it meaning Quatre was awake and wandering around the dorm somewhere. He wondered briefly how he had gotten home last night since the last thing he remembered was the mirror. No wait, he remembered Heero coming into the room but he had felt so sleepy and the rest of the night was a blank. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something stir at Quatre's desk. Oh good the blonde was there after all. But it wasn't Quatre, sitting in Quatre's chair with icy blue eyes focused intently on Duo was none other than Heero Yuy. Well that explained how he had gotten home last night.

Heero had been watching Duo sleep, just to make sure that nothing was wrong with the boy of course, when the braided young man had started to stir awake. He hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from the scene of Duo yawning and blearily blinking his eyes. It had been so long since he had felt tired but watching Duo wake up had almost made him feel just that. But he had been caught, he had shifted in Quatre's uncomfortable wooden chair and Duo had heard the movement. He did his best to glare at the boy since he didn't feel like explaining things right now, but it was hard to do when the guy kept trying to smile and say good morning but was interrupted every time by a huge yawn.

"Ohayo." Heero muttered and Duo nodded smiling sleepily. He rubbed his eyes and sat up slightly, leaning on his elbows as he looked over at the vampire.

"Did you stay here all night?" He asked and Heero nodded but didn't say anything. Duo sighed, he got the feeling that sometimes trying to hold a conversation with this guy was like some form of ancient torture.

"You passed out, I was making sure you didn't develop a concussion." So cold, so precise and yet at least he cared.

"You didn't sleep all night?" Duo asked, that seemed like going above and beyond the call of duty.

"I don't need to sleep." Was Heero's curt response.

"Oh." So maybe he didn't care that much. But he could have just had Quatre keep an eye out for him. Wait vamps didn't sleep, so then Quatre had been faking this whole time! No wonder the kid got up so early and was so chipper, the time of day didn't make one of bit of difference to the blonde.

"I'm sorry." It was so unexpected that it took Duo a moment to realize that it was Heero who had said that. Duo didn't know Heero that well but he could just tell that this guy didn't apologize _ever_.

"What for?" Duo asked and even though Heero never actually responded it didn't matter, it warmed his heart anyway.

"It's alright, but next time I choose where we go out." Duo grinned at the vampire and tossed the blankets off of him. Heero smirked and raised one quizzical eyebrow.

"Next time?"

* * *

So I've decided that since you all are such fantastic reviewers, and you are, that I should be nice and not force you to read my babbling idiocy any longer. Instead I'm going to thank everyone for reviewing because you guys are just so cool. 

Yaruna-chan: I'm very glad you liked it despite your aversion to the pointy teethed creatures.

Shi: Thank you so much and there's more Wufei to come. Promise!

SnakeMistress: Thank you, I think if Wufei were a cowboy I would actually like that damn song save a horse ride a cowboy.

IchigoPocky: Thank you, okay so it wasn't that great of a plot twist but there's more.

Demonskid: Thank you and you'll just have to wait and see. I know it's not that exciting but it's fun to sound mysterious and suspenseful.

Jess-eklom: Thank you and great guess! but you'll just have to wait and find out. There I go again like my stories actually interesting. I think you guys are inflating my confidence, scary.

ravel queen: Thanks for keeping me on my toes and for sticking with this story. All will be revealed in due time. hehe, that's fun to say.But just in case keep on asking me questions if you have them, helps me focus on what I'mmight being too vague about that I didn't actually intend to.

Karrafear: Thank you and I hope you liked this chapter.

ahanchan: Thank you and great questions

camillian: Thanks and I hope you enjoyed this chapter or at least maybe it didn't suck too bad.

foxy-comic-death: Thank you! I really appreciate all the great reviews and I hope you liked this chapter too.

sataness-ov-desire: Thank you so much. A vampire fic fan, damn, I hopethis chapter wasn'ttoo dissapointing to you. Good stuff is coming up that has to do more with Heero's primalvampness, if that makes any sense.

JAIDA: THANK YOU, hehe caps lock is fun, hope you liked it.

Toby7: Thank you very much!

Precognition74: Thank you! I love questions but you'll just have to wait and see!

Angel: Thanks so much!

Fury: Thank you so much. Oh and he's a doppleganger, Heero tells Duo at some point in that conversation...I think. hmmm just a sec...yep. keep asking questions I love them, especially when I can answer them!

sunstreake: Thanks a bunch!

White Destiny: Thank you! I hope you liked this chapter or at least weren't bored by it. Ah you're totally making me blush, I'm glad you like it though. I hope you do come back to fiction, I would love to read your work. Actually I read Cute Beginnings and if you just updated that I'd be happy it's just so...cute. But not too fluffy which is nice.

Okay see everybody next chapter! See no pointless babbling, aren't you proud of me D


	6. We Were Blood Brothers

Sorry guys it's been forever and this chapter is short and pathetic, I seem to be saying that a lot lately. I don't if I should just hold out until I have enough time to actually make these things good, or just post the little spurts of inspiration that I get no matter how crappy they turn out to be. Well anyway my summer class ends next week so I'll have all kinds of free time to focus on this story and really get into developing some kind of relationship between Heero and Duo, or at least get past this point where the two being afraid of each other. Then the real fun writing begins, I hope. So I guess that's all. If it takes me this long to update again assume I'm dead or the new school year has started. They're pretty much the same thing anyway.

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The Cursed No More 

We Were Blood Brothers

Duo's butt was seriously falling asleep, they had been sitting on the same stupid cement bench for two hours now and Quatre still wasn't satisfied. Duo was going to start demanding a lunch break pretty damn soon. For the past three weeks he had been spending his Saturdays sitting somewhere or another trying to learn to control the thoughts and emotions that he had been receiving from Heero ever since that bite about a month ago. Had it been that long? He was starting to almost feel like he was apart of this crazy world instead of just a reluctant spectator. Heero for the most part had spent the last three weeks relatively avoiding Duo except for these little exercises. The vampire had been trying to do what Quatre asked him so they could get done with these things quicker but he found the things Duo thought were so entertaining that he was having difficulty not listening to them. For example just a few minutes ago Duo had been wondering if he was going to suffer from permanent ass-numbness and whether or not there had been any research done for a cure yet.

To say the least, Quatre was very frustrated. The two boys were progressing but not nearly as fast as they should be with Heero's level of power. He felt like he was a very underpaid schoolteacher dealing with the class clowns. They had gotten to a point where they could block each other's thoughts completely as long as they were in the quiet of a dorm room. They had even learned to block everything yet still allow the other person calling out their name to filter through. Duo was even getting close to being a pro at reading Heero's thoughts _and_ deciphering the vague impressions of emotions the vampire gave off. Quatre had never expected that, he didn't think _anyone_ could get past the walls Heero Yuy put up around himself. Granted the boy did have very strong emotions and a harder time masking them than his thoughts. But the bond between these two went deeper than Quatre or Trowa had guessed, the blonde was beginning to see that now. Everyday Duo broke down another barrier and if Quatre hadn't known Heero Yuy for the better part of a few centuries, he would have sworn the guy wasn't even trying to block Duo out. All in all they were progressing fairly well, but again, all of this only worked when they were alone in a quiet room somewhere put them out where there were distractions of _any_ kind and Duo's focus was gone fast and usually took Heero's with it. So that was why they were sitting on cold cement benches in the middle of a crowded downtown plaza and Quatre was about to start yanking his hair out. He needed Trowa there for some kind of good cop/ bad cop setup to get those two to pay attention. Damn Trowa volunteering to work on a Saturday, yeah right he had no choice Quatre didn't believe that for a second.

"Duo try one more time to receive a thought from Heero then send one back and then both of you block each other right after." Quatre instructed them in that fed up teacher voice that he had been slowly perfecting over the past three weeks. Duo made an exaggerated sighing noise that had Heero dangerously close to almost wanting to chuckle instead of his usual amused yet somewhat annoyed snort. The whole business of reading someone else's mind still creeped him out. True he had adjusted to being not only aware but apart of the supernatural but it still hit him sometimes that just a month ago the only time vampires crossed his mind was when he happened on an old episode of Buffy and thought Spike was the only decent character in the entire series.

'Duo.' The sound rang through the braided boy's mind. He could tell it was Heero's voice even though it wasn't really a sound and he couldn't actually hear Heero's voice. It felt like when people in your dreams talk to you and you can't really hear them but they still have voices and you know what they're saying.

'Hey Heero, you know it's not that I don't truly love these little get afternoon outdoor adventures of ours, but I vote that next weekend we fake the flu or something.' Duo tried to act naturally but he could see just the barest hints of enjoyment around the edges of Heero's lips and he couldn't help but smile a little. Quatre glanced back and forth between the two, his gaze lingering on Heero, suspicion clear in his features.

'A flu in the summer?' Heero could almost hear Duo mentally snort.

'Damn your logic.'

'I'm going to block you now, you do the same so Quatre will let us free.' Duo nodded then shook his head and responded psychically with a quick yes. They both focused their minds the way Quatre had shown them. Duo had to try especially hard since this was the first time he had ever done anything like this, Heero had at least had some experience with blocking other vampires but none that had a such a strong bond with him not even Dilluvia had been penetrated so many layers of his mind. Was it because of the bond or was it because he found himself letting Duo in further and further just to see what the boy would do? Duo used Quatre's technique and pictured a big black sphere covering his thoughts and concentrated purely on the sphere and not the thoughts swirling around inside it. Quatre looked at Duo then back to Heero. He tried to send a barrage of thoughts to both of them and was happy to sense strong blocks from both of them, and when he couldn't even pull a single thought from Duo's mind he smiled in confidence and nodded at the boys. Duo almost jumped for joy, he was finally free, he heaved a long sigh as Heero just continued to sit there with that damn neutral expression. Quatre frowned at him too, then looked a little closer at the vampire's face and noticed a few things he didn't like,

Heero's eyes were red rimmed, his skin was even paler than normal, and his movements seemed almost sluggish well for a vampire anyway which meant he was moving at the same pace as a mortal. He completely lacked the unnatural grace of an undead ancient creature and for Heero to sit so heavily on a bench and actually make noise when he shifted, not to mention Heero shifting uncomfortably was highly unusual, all this had Quatre just a little worried. He looked at Duo who seemed fine. Why was it that Duo wasn't drained at all when Heero seemed to be falling apart, it couldn't have been the Saturdays if Duo wasn't affected, then it hit him. Heero wasn't feeding.

"Heero Yuy." The blonde said in that tone of voice that you knew he meant business, when Quatre wanted to he could pull off the menacing thing pretty well. Both boys snapped to attention though Heero showed no other outward reaction. Duo on the other hand looked shocked at the harsh tone form the little blonde vampire. Quatre thought for a second that it might not be a good idea to bring this up in front of Duo, but it was too late now.

"Heero please tell me you have a good reason for starving yourself again when you have Duo." Heero frowned intensely at Quatre and Duo made a small strangling noise, he had forgotten about that part of the arrangement. Quatre waited impatiently for Heero's answer.

'Not now Quatre.' The stone cold vampire's voice rang in an angry harsh whisper inside Quatre's head. Quatre frowned and his eyes flashed just the faintest of silver and despite the blonde's bubbly appearance, it was a rather intimidating sight. Well it was for Duo anyway, Heero however just growled and walked away. Quatre frowned then shrugged and tried to act like the whole thing hadn't bothered him at all but his eyes told the truth. Duo smiled weakly then gave one last heavy sigh as he hoisted himself off the bench. He stretched and rubbed his numb butt before taking off in the direction Heero had just wandered off in.

"Don't worry Quatre I'll take care of him." He hollered over his shoulder and gave a sharp wave without looking back at the blonde. He didn't want to answer Quatre's questions or hear him wine more about Heero. Honestly the guy had issues, but the prospect of an eternity like the one Heero has had to endure would make anybody a little irritable. Duo had wandering through the dense crowd for ten minutes with no sign of Heero. When a creature of the undead did not want to be found, then they couldn't be… okay scratch that when they didn't want to be found they hung out in a mall coffee shops.

Heero took a long sip of his latte and watched the giggling loud girls and the pathetic old men ogling them. He suddenly got the impression that he should feel very tired while he watched these people in their mundane and narrow lives. Damn he missed the effects of caffeine. True they hadn't invented coffee when he was alive but lots of teas had the stuff in it and he could use a strong dose of its magnificent powers. Something tingled at the back of his neck and he got the distinct impression that someone was coming up behind him. He focused on the stalker's mind and eventually broke through the small block the young man was putting up. Heero decided that it was definitely a vampire if he could do that. Before long the young vampire was at his table.

Duo watched from across the mall as a man slowly, almost cautiously approached Heero, then without saying a word he took a seat next to the blue eyed vamp. The strange man had slight build, a little lanky but still strong, he had sandy brown hair and green-hazel eyes. He was tan and had light brown freckles across his nose. He had that all-American, boy-next-door cuteness that made Duo's stomach churn. The braided boy watched closely as the two said nothing and just looked at each other until finally the young man handed some kind of folder filled with papers to Heero. The braided boy felt a small flare of jealousy that made all kinds of questions pop into his mind. What jealousy him? For Heero? No way. He just happened to have the urge to break one the vampire's fingers every time they wandered anywhere near Heero. Didn't sound like jealousy to him, nope not at all. Especially since Heero looked like he was thinking the exact same thing about those wandering fingers invading his personal space. The ancient vampire looked at the papers as the freckled vampire pointed things out, but he showed no reaction to them. Heero did however excuse himself and leave the coffee shop pretty damn fast for how nonchalant he was acting. Duo decided to follow Heero for the vampire's own good, after all he was in a delicate state from not eating and only Duo had the solution to that problem. It had nothing to do the knowing feeling in his stomach he got when he thought about these two alone together.

Much to Duo's surprise the freckled vampire did not follow Heero, when the blue-eyed vamp had excused himself the pretty boy had too but when they reached the door the vampires had split and gone in opposite directions. Duo continued following Heero out of curiosity. Yeah the exact same stuff that got the cat killed, but Duo had never learned that lesson as a kid. His cat had died of stupidity. He was run over by a riding lawn mower, a huge ass freaking lawn mower ten time the cat's size. Do you know how slow those things are and they don't exactly swerve around a lot. There is still debate though on whether or not Duo will die from the same thing.

He had to almost jog to keep with Heero and yet the vampire looked like he was just strolling down the street except that he was passing everyone on the sidewalk. Duo saw the dirty blonde haired man turn the other way and in the blink of an eye he had disappeared into the crowd and was gone. By the time Duo turned back to continue following Heero, the handsome blue-eyed vampire had just slipped around the corner of an alley.

'Shit.' Duo thought and he took off across the street and dipped into the alley after the vampire, careful to stay in the shadows and make as little noise as possible. But there was nothing there; the alley was completely empty. Above his head Duo heard the sound of a pair of wings of one of the thousands of pigeons that could be found swarming and scavenging the city. He looked up out of habit and he saw resembled the tip of a booted-foot disappear over the roof ledge instead of the squawking gray bird he had expected.

"God I wish he'd stop doing crap like that…. or at least teach me how."

Quatre had left, gotten an Orange Julius, went back to the plaza bench, and was almost finished with it by the time Duo finally got back which is saying something since Quatre really hadn't enjoyed the drink very much at all so he had taken his fine time drinking it. He had been enjoying food less and less as the decades wore on and the realization that he would never feel hunger again had really started to sink in. It was strange to think that there are so many starving people in this world that would give anything to never feel hungry again and here he was willing to give just about the same amount to feel it just once. He noticed Duo's approached and tossed the rest of his drink into a near by recycle bin, hey he would probably see the end of the world he didn't want to help it come any faster.

"So he's gone off on one of his secret missions eh? Been in touch with his contacts?" Quatre smiled as Duo plopped down on the bench with a yawn and stretched a little. Heero had been around for so long and had traveled so much that he practically knew every vampire around. And if he didn't know them, they all knew his name so all he had to do was mention it and they cowered before him like he was some kind of tyrannical king. All because of his name.

"Yeah I guess, I wish he'd tell me what the hell is going on though. He's been avoiding me Quatre and it's damn annoying. I'm gonna' get a complex if he keeps treating me like I'm contagious." Duo vented and Quatre just shook his head.

"Not contagious, addicting."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Duo asked glibly. Quatre stood up off the bench and shrugged then offered his hand to Duo to help him pull himself up off the bench. He quickly withdrew it when the realization of what would happen if Duo took his hand hit him. Duo flinched slightly and a brief look of very intense sadness passed his face, it hurt both of them they were very close and touch had been a very large part of their friendship. Duo hauled himself up off the cement bench masking any hurt that he was feeling.

"So what do you say we go and peek in on Mr. Dark and Mysterious himself?" Quatre asked and Duo looked at him like he had grown an extra eye or something. Actually Quatre was also wondering if he had gone crazy too, but it was about time Heero started telling Duo what was going on and stopped treating him like he wasn't apart of this. Quatre knew that Heero just hoped that if he kept Duo away from all this then maybe that would fix everything and Duo could be normal again, but that wasn't going to happen it was time that Heero admitted it to himself.

"Are you nuts? You want to spy on Heero and his vamp Mafia?" Quatre shrugged. So he was nuts, he wasn't turning back now.

"Why not, I've never actually done it before but I know where he goes when it's information he wants." Duo sat there stunned for a minute. Who knew Quatre was so sneaky? He had to say that he felt proud of the little blonde, he felt like he had somehow been apart of the boy's corruption if not solely responsible.

"Quatre there's no way in hell we're doing this." Duo said and started walking off down the street.

"Uh Duo the dorms are the other way." Quatre stared befuddled at his roommate's shrinking form in the distance. That trademark braid swinging against the tops of the boy's chiseled thighs. "And Heero's still able to resist him, damn."

"What was that Quatre?"

"Nothing."

"I told you buddy there's no way in hell we're going to spy on Heero." Duo yelled behind his shoulder since Quatre wasn't walking with him and the gap between them had grown pretty large

"Then why are you going in the wrong direction? Home's the other way." Quatre hollered back.

"Because we're not in hell Q." Quatre laughed and ran to catch up to his longhaired friend. The longhaired boy smiled at the sound of quickening footsteps that he knew was Quatre. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Nope, not in hell yet."

"Ouch, shit Quatre is this the only way we can see in?" Duo growled when he ripped his pant leg and a little flesh on a broken protruding rung of the rickety iron fire escape that he was climbing right behind his blonde friend. Heero's informants apparently lived on the top floor of a very old apartment building in the middle of downtown that had only one window and of course it had to be one of those sky-view in the roof deals. And to top it all off there was only one way to get to it, the twice damned ancient fire escape that they were currently and quite literally swinging on. When they reached their roof Duo could have kissed the cement ground if he could find the strength left in his shaking legs to bend down that far. Hell he was afraid that much movement would bring this whole rickety building down.

"Only way I can think of." The two made their way through a maze of roof top windows, careful to keep quiet and out of sight. Of course Quatre had no trouble with the quiet thing, he practically floated around the roof but Duo on the other hand found controlling his shook up body a little more difficult. Maybe if he hadn't been scared for his life while he climbed that stupid broke down iron piece of shit then he wouldn't have these damn spaghetti legs and this would be a lot easier. But that wasn't the case and now he found himself tripping over everything in his path and making a lot of noise.

"Whoa." Duo said and backed away from a window and tripping himself over an empty paint can that had been left there since the building had been repainted five years ago.

"What?" Quatre stopped in his tracks when he heard his friend nearly crash head first into the cement rooftop.

"There're two people totally going at it all freaky style down there. Guess people wandering around on the roof doesn't happen to often." Quatre laughed and continued walking, Duo paused for a second at the strange new angle the couple had gotten in to. His head tilted to that angle then one eyebrow shot up when he realized there were actually three people down there.

"Oh shit Quatre you have to see this." Quatre had paused next to a window a little bit ahead.

"Hey shut up I hear them." Quatre sat perfectly still and looked very intense. Duo couldn't hear a damn thing, how could somebody hear through a cement wall? Oh right, the whole vampire thing, he had to stop forgetting about the weird crap these guys could do. Duo approached one of the roof top windows that Quatre was sitting next to. The blonde peered in it briefly and looked very concentrated. Duo looked in too, but he didn't see anything. Either Quatre was officially crazy or the boy could hear whatever conversation was going on in some other room of the apartment.

"They're coming this way. Get out of the window!" Quatre whispered urgently as he quickly ran to one side of the window and flung himself onto the sliver of roof top space available, pushing himself as far to the edge as he could so he wouldn't be seen. He did all of this without making a single noise. Duo stared at all the rust on the window frame and then looked at his leg and started thinking about how rusty that fire escape was. 'Great,' he thought, 'now I'm gonna get tetanus and die…no I wont.' This idea still managed to shock him every time it popped into his head. 'As long as Heero's alive then so am I, and he even practically said that it's damn near impossible to kill a Dilluvian. So I guess I'll be on this planet for a long time. Maybe I should start recycling too.'

To his right Quatre started waving at him and pointing to the window. Duo peeked in and sure enough Heero was standing in the middle of the rundown room looking rather irritated with the middle aged gentleman that was rummaging around in the beat up dirty fridge. Duo watched as the man started making drinks with something he had found in the back of the refrigerator. He wished he could hear what the hell this guy was saying to Heero. Quatre must have seen the look on his face because the next thing he knew the boy was pointing above their heads and when Duo looked up he saw that one of the window pains was cracked open. He crawled over to it and pushed it open as far as he dared praying that it didn't creak or anything. Quatre watched frozen and with wide eyes until Duo signaled with a thumbs up that everything was cool. The braided boy leaned his head next to the open window and listened to the conversation that was taking place below them.

"Those are very interesting pictures you have there." The older looking vampire said as offered one of the drinks he held in his hand to Heero.

"What are they naked pictures?" Said a younger vampire that had just walked through the door from another room a few moments before.

"Show a little respect you idiot, this is Heero Yuy." Duo noticed Heero rolling his eyes just slightly when the young vamp freaked out.

"Oh my Gawd, I am so sorry. Please don't fry my brains or anything, ok?" Duo just knew that Heero was fighting a snort back with everything he had. This kid was an idiot.

"Yeah I'll let you off the hook today kid, now can we get a little privacy." Heero said in one of his deadly cold tones that scared Duo just a little and in some twisted way got him a little excited too. Man he was feeling weird ever since that faithful night, aggression had become a big turn on for him and Heero was like the king of unpredictable aggression.

"Thank you, you won't regret this. I'll get right out of your way." And this was gone, just like that. Like his life depended on how fast he could get out of that apartment.

"He's dumb, but he's great in bed." The middle aged vampire tried to offer Heero a drink again but the vamp just shook his head and sat down at the round glass table in the dining area.

"So anyway, is this really Dilluvia's house?"

"Yeah, one of them. His favorite one."

"And this person in the window. Is it really Dilluvia?" The gentleman shuffled through the small stack of blown up pictures and brought one of them really close to his face.

"That's what everyone thinks, but look really closely." Heero said and grabbed the top picture. The older looking vamp squinted his eyes and brought the picture up so that it was practically touching his nose.

"Wait a second…. is that? But I thought she had gone with him."

"Yes it's Dilluvia's sister. And yes she had disappeared with him." Heero said while he stared at the picture stack deep in thought.

"How do you know she did? Maybe she's been around all this time in hiding?" The older vampire took a long drink from his glass of dark brown liquid.

"I know because I was there." The older man became very quiet and looked slightly guilty as though he had brought up a taboo subject. Duo wanted to know why everyone was so afraid to talk about this Dilluvia guy with Heero. And what did all this mean anyway, the dude's sister was here but she wasn't supposed to be. Why was everyone so afraid of some guy's annoying little sister anyway? He shut up the annoying voice in his head when the older guy started talking again.

"Since when did you start calling him Dilluvia anyway? That's what everyone else called him, you were special you knew his real name." Heero frowned and his flashed a brief silvery blue.

"I never asked to be special. And he had many names I merely called him by a different one than most vamps, but it wasn't his real name." Heero ground out but the guy didn't take the hint, or wouldn't, and he kept pushing.

"Yeah but still what's with all the Dilluvia business, you afraid to say his name now that he might be back?" Heero growled and stood up quickly from his chair. It almost so fast that Duo missed it but Heero in less than a second Heero was standing in the other man's face, practically snarling. 'What the hell?' Duo's mind screamed. 'Did he just say that the big scary dude that even freaks out Heero, who is supposed to be gone forever, might be back? Why the hell didn't anyone tell me?' Duo's eyes flashed over to Quatre who was looking guiltily at the braided boy. So Quatre had known too. Duo almost lost it and said something to Quatre but creepy laugh from below caught his attention.

"A little sensitive are we? You afraid he's going to come after you? Or maybe your afraid he's going to come after that pretty little toy you've been spotted around with. I bet the old boy would go crazy if he knew you were bound to someone else, or even worse, that you're falling in lo…" In an instant the man had been slammed into the wall and Heero's hand was wrapped tightly around his throat. It was strange to see a man twice Heero's size cowering and scratching at the boy's small hands to get free. There was a feral, almost insane look on Heero's face as he ground larger vampire into the wall.

"Don't you _ever_ talk about Duo again, or I will slit you from naval to nose with just my fingernails." Heero's voice was a deadly whisper that sent chills down the spine. The older vampire snarled a little back but weakly.

"You're losing your mind Yuy. You're bound to some hot little thing and yet it's obvious you've had nothing to eat in ages and yet you refuse a drink from me. That's some of my finest stuff. I'll have you know that was a Catholic priest, very rare blood, very hard to come by these days. This boy you've bonded yourself to has messed with your mind, you've lost your edge Yuy and if Dilluvia really has come back you're gonna' need all your wits." The man ground out harshly. Heero stared coldly into the guy's eyes then slammed him one last time into the wall and let him go. The man rubbed his neck, which was bright red and went back to sit with Heero at the table.

"I'm just trying to help you, if you want to survive a run in with your old pal then you better eat something." The drink was once again pushed in Heero's direction. This time the vampire slowly picked it up and brought it to his lips. He held it there for a second, trying to get over the unease that had settled in his stomach, he took a whiff of the thick dark blood that gleamed in the crystal glass. It looked fantastic, it even smelled great but for some reason it made him sick to smell it and the thought of drinking it made him want to throw up.

"You really are bonded to some kid, until today I would have sworn it was just a rumor. The only person you've ever been bonded to was Dilluvia." Duo's eyes shot wide open and he and Quatre exchanged looks. Duo wasn't sure if Quatre had known that about Heero or not, and he wasn't sure exactly how he felt about that. "I never thought you'd ever…I mean with somebody else. And it's so strong, I've never really felt a bond quite like it before." The gentleman continued and Duo just got more confused, his life was so messed up these days.

"Bram, just shut up alright and get in contact with the girls. I need them to do little more investigation for me." The man nodded and left the room. Heero stared at the drink for a little while then, with a look of determination, he grabbed the drink and without pausing took a big drink. Almost instantly he was gagging and spitting it out.

"Damn it, what the hell is wrong with me... Duo." It was barely a whisper but the braided boy had heard his name uttered from the blue-eyed vampire's lips and he wondered what it meant. Heero sat there looking as intense as ever until Bram returned a few minutes later.

"I've secured the network you can speak to them through any mirror in the house. Do you want me to bring you one or do you want to use a room for a little privacy?" Duo swore a thousand times in his head when Heero opted for the privacy, they were just getting to the really good stuff. He looked over to see Quatre signaling that they should leave. He didn't want to go yet but he supposed he could at least talk to Quatre about all this and find out what the golden haired boy knew.

Quatre stood up to and Duo followed suit, unfortunately he only made it about halfway up before he was snapped back down by his braid which had gotten caught in the metal bar holding the window open. He went down fast as his braid snapped taut and he found himself trying desperately to grasp the window ledge as he slipped headfirst into the window that he had opened wide. He caught it for just a second but it was no good and he fell head first into a vampire's lair. He missed the glass table by just a few meters and ended making a fairly soft landing on one of the big couch-like chairs that were found all throughout the house, especially in the living room which he had been poised directly above when he was eavesdropping through the window. He had not made much sound during his fall but there was no way that Bram had missed a person falling into the middle of his house, had he? Duo looked around cautiously and found to his surprise that Bram had vanished. His hopes soared, the older looking vamp had gone into another room, he may make it out of here unnoticed. He turned around to get of the couch and found himself face to face with a pair of dark brown slightly wrinkled eyes. Bram smiled unnervingly. Duo wondered if Heero would come save him if he screamed loud enough.

"Silly little lamb you've lost your way and stumbled into the wolf's den. Don't try to scream or run, you'll find that you can't anyway." Bram was right, Duo struggled with all he had but he could not move nor make a sound. Bram's smile widened.

"Little fly do not struggle, it will only tangle you in my web more." Duo struggled with everything he had, why wasn't this guy aware of the bond, was he a Dilluvian like Heero? Was he stronger than Treize? Maybe he could override this bond like the Dilluvians apparently could. Where was Quatre? Duo could see the window clearly but the blonde was nowhere in sight. Duo was panicking and Bram was leaning closer to him, there was a glint of pearly white fang.

"Silly little mortal."

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Okay so that's this chapter, please don't hate me. I'm hoping to get a muse soon so my stories will be better. I'm on the muse adoption list but let's just say these guys are up for adoption for a reason, as you can tell from my recent writing, or all my writing I'm not sure if I ever had any idea what I was doing. So the character of Bram is my own, basically I ran out of gundam wing characters. His name is taken from Bram Stoker, the guy that wrote teh original Dracula. I hope I at least got you interested enough to want to know what happens next, I know the past couple chapters have been lame so I'm goona take some time and really try to write an awesome next chapter. Anybody want to share their muse for a few weekends? Joint custody or something? Alright see everyone next chapter, by the way everybody knows who Dilluvia is now right? No big surprise there, I just thought I'd leave it up in the air for a while, see if people started guessing. Alright that's all for now but hopefully there will be more much _much_ sooner than it took to get this little piece of bleep out. 


	7. Bleeding Hearts

Ok so here's the next installment. I got it out a little faster this time eh? Stupid summer school is finally over. So this was supposed to be part of the last chapter but then that chap would have been soo long and I would have never finished it so here's the other half. Sorry about the limited amount of Heero and Duo interaction but there will be much more next chapter ...heh heh heh. I have plans for our little couple, may or may not be good plans and maybe not good for either of their healths, but hey it's something. So anyway, this is lame but it starts to explain some things, or sets up for later explanations. Don't worry I think this whole story should start to make a little sense from now on. Okay maybe not but at least I'll start really getting to some answers. Like who Dilluvia is (not a big mystery there, oh well) and what exactly is so special about our little Duo...heh maybe I'm giving away too much already...Oh don't forget about Wufei, I suspect our cowboy will return soon. Just read, it will get better in the next chapters...I think...God I hope cuz this chapter sucked.

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The Cursed No More

Bleeding Hearts

"Thank you ladies, and Noin I need you to see if you can get any more pictures of what's going on in that house." Heero nodded and shut the connections to the girls in Rome and that's when he got the very distinct feeling that there was danger and it was very near. He swore he could sense someone close by but it was fuzzy, there was so much tension in the air it was hard to get a good reading on anything. Not to mention that when mirror channels were opened they drained all the psychic energy out of the room and the person using them so when Bram opened every channel in his house the entire apartment must have been drained. But now that the channels were closed he felt his power seeping slowly back into him and there was… something going on that he really didn't like the feel of. In an instant he switched to the vampire predator. His already extreme senses were at their height and his body was tingling with the sudden tense electricity in the air. A few hairs at the back of his neck were standing on end as he slowly stalked his way toward the closed bedroom door. He could hear Bram talking, he had assumed that the man's …roommate had returned but now he doubted it.

Heero had been using one of Bram's guest rooms for privacy while he had contacted his friends in Rome and if he opened the bedroom's door then he would have a clear view of the front room where he heard the old vampire's voice coming from. Heero reached the doorknob, the cool metal kissing his fingers putting his heightened senses further on edge. He eased the door open a crack when there was suddenly the faintest noise right behind him. It would have been inaudible to any normal man but it rang loudly in Heero's ears. Someone was opening the small inaccessible window that looked into this room. Only a vampire could open a window on the top floor of a building from the outside when there were neither stairs nor a ledge. Heero whipped around to see Quatre, wide eyed and almost shaking, standing in the middle of the room.

"Quatre, what are you doing here? Why couldn't I sense it was you? Did you put up a barrier so I wouldn't feel your presence?" The slender blonde rushed over to Heero nearly in tears.

"Heero please, there's no time. Duo's in there right now and there's something wrong. The bond, I don't know…just help him before he becomes Bram's lunch!" Heero's eyes widened just slightly with shock and he tore through the bedroom door with the force of a storm throwing out a shock of energy straight at Bram without even thinking first. His vision had turned red when he had seen Bram hovering just inches from his beauty's face with a predatory gleam in his silvery eyes. He could barely keep his strength in check as he rushed forward and physically lifted the much larger man above his head. Bram retaliated out of instinct with an energy wave of his own but it did almost nothing as Heero easily threw it off with a psychic shield then tossed the man across the floor.

Duo watched in horror as the crazy scene played out before him. He wasn't sure if he wanted Heero to attack the man and this seemed a little excessive. Then again it was a fight between vampires so maybe this was just like a normal little skirmish. Except the horrified look on Quatre's face told him otherwise. Heero brought his arms up and started muttering a strange language with a heavy 'h' that sounded almost German at times but the rest was lilting like an elfin language.

"Nhah hach givanya 'lil." Was what the sentence had sounded like to Duo. Then Heero spread his arms out wide and something passed through the room. It hit the large man in the corner and all his limbs seized up on him. 'What the hell was that?'

Heero looked over to Duo at the braided boy's sudden mental outburst. As if the realization that the boy was unharmed instantly calmed his rage. He rushed over to Duo and began searching the boy's neck for any wounds. Duo allowed his eyes to slide shut at the contact.

"Heero I'm fine, but he got so close. I thought vamps could sense that I was bonded to you. Wasn't he afraid of what would happen when he touched me?" Duo asked and Heero frowned turning to the frozen man behind him.

"That's a good question." Heero walked over to the man on the floor and picked him up effortlessly.

"What did you do to him?" Duo asked though he wasn't really all that concerned for his attacker.

"A strong binding spell, he's paralyzed but it wears off." Duo wondered if that's what Bram had done to him just moments ago. Duo watched Heero drag the larger vamp across the room and threw him unceremoniously onto one of the cushiony chairs smirking a little when the man's head smacked against the wooden frame. He muttered a few more words in that strange language that Duo now recognized as the same one Heero had told him was the vampire language. Bram's mouth snapped open like it had been held together by glue. He took deep gasping breaths as if he thought there wasn't enough air in the room. The rest of his body, however, remained as stiff and stuck together as before.

"Why would you go after Duo, you know you can sense our bond?" But Bram was already shaking his head before Heero had finished grinding out his angry question.

"I swear, I can sense it now that you're in the room but barely. And before I couldn't sense anything at all." Heero growled and shoved the man into the couch, leaning dangerously close to the man.

"You know that isn't possible, stop lying to save your neck." Quatre made a small noise from the back of the room. Duo had forgotten that the blonde vamp was there. Heero's assault on the man lightened, but he didn't fully release his grip he had on the big vampire's shirt.

"Heero, there is something wrong. I…I can sense it, but it's faint." The blue-eyed vampire stared at his blonde undead companion.

"Are you sure?" He asked and Quatre nodded hesitantly. Heero turned back to Bram and glared at the man for a long time before he finally released him from the spell rather reluctantly. He didn't apologize for his mistake or help the man out of the chair in any way, and Duo could still feel the anger dripping off the young looking vampire. He used Quatre's techniques and shut out Heero's anger so he could he could focus on trying to understand what was going on.

"Maybe it's because you're not eating Heero, I told you that…"

"That's not it Quatre and you know it. That would not cause the bond to practically disappear like this." Heero cut the blonde off with his own frustrations. He hadn't even wanted this bond in the first place right? So why was he so protective of it now? Why did the thought of losing it almost scare him when he hadn't felt fear in so long? Not until he had met Duo, then he had found himself often doing irrational things out of fear for the boy's safety.

"Quatre can you do me favor?" Duo watched as Heero walked over to the blonde with a very serious expression. Quatre looked a little worried and Duo got the feeling that the blonde knew Heero was going to ask for something big.

"Can you try and see what's wrong? Not here though, back at your place." Heero shot a quick glare at Bram who was still sitting in the chair rather unnerved by the entire situation. Quatre paused for a long time then his gaze drifted over and caught Duo's violet eyes. He knew he'd say yes, he had to help his friend. He just hoped that nothing went wrong. He didn't want to hurt anybody, or accidentally snap the bond or something in its weakened state.

"Okay. I'll try."

They walked down the bright sidewalk together in silence. They had left Bram back at the apartment still stuck in the biding spell though Heero had swore it would wear off within the next six or seven hours. Heero had looked surprisingly pleased with himself when he had said that. Quatre walked in between the vampire and his bonded partner. Duo wondered if Heero did everything possible to get further away from him and why was it so difficult for the vampire to be around him. Did he hate Duo that much? Why did Heero keep him at such a distance both physically and not physically? Heero never spoke of his past and he refused to tell Duo what was happening even though it seemed that everyone else thought that he was already involved somehow. Like Heero being bonded to Dilluvia, how come he never mentioned that? It seemed a pretty important piece of information.

And Heero had been avoiding him. He knew it wasn't his imagination. The vampire would walk away from the group when he saw Duo approaching. Or when they were supposed to come visit Duo would watch them from the window as they approached the building but Heero would turn away and go towards his own building and Trowa would come and visit by himself. Or on those rare occasions when Duo saw Heero on campus, the boy really seemed rather recluse, Heero would just ignore him or barely nod then disappear when Duo blinked. Whenever he asked anybody about it, they would all tell him he was imagining things but there was a look in their eyes that said they thought the same thing. It was really starting to hurt, he felt Heero drifting away from him. When he had first been bitten he had felt unexplainably close to the vampire, they shared emotions could sense each other's proximity. Heero had been his source of security in this crazy new life. But now, he didn't know what was happening to them. It felt like they were breaking up even though they had never been a couple.

Duo glanced over at the object of his frustrations and was surprised to see the vampire looking back at him. It tore his heart when Heero looked quickly away. He didn't know why he wanted to be near Heero all the time, he didn't know why he cared so much about the stupid vampire when he hardly knew him, but it felt like he had known Heero forever and he didn't want to lose that feeling. He didn't want to lose Heero.

"Are you sure about this Heero?" Quatre asked suddenly, trying to ease the tension in the air, but if anything it only doubled.

"Yes I'm sure. If we find out what's going wrong then we can find a way to fix it." Heero responded almost to himself.

"Are you sure you want to fix it?" Duo asked and he didn't know what had possessed him to say that. Sure he was thinking it but he hadn't meant to ask it aloud. Heero had never given any inclination that he wanted this bond to Duo except on the first day after it had happened and he had looked so hopeful when Duo had told him he was willing to go through eternity with the vampire.

There was look of hurt that flittered briefly across Heero's face. The question had stung him. It had a little too close to home, he wasn't sure if he wanted this or not. No, that wasn't true at all, he wanted this more than he had wanted anything in his life he just had no explanation why. He didn't want to be a leech, he didn't want to be dependent on anything and yet the thought of losing his bond with Duo almost made him want to just give up and wait for the end of the world. Or was it the thought of losing Duo?

"Yes, I'm sure." And for some reason that's all it took, and Duo's mind was eased. It was more the look in the vampire's eyes than anything, it had reminded him in some way of that look he Heero had given when he had first asked him if he really wanted to be apart of all this. In that instant he hadn't been some ancient undead creature, he had been just a normal boy who was just tired of always being alone. That's what Heero's eyes said now, that he was afraid to be alone again. So Heero wasn't the best at expressing it, but at least Duo knew now that the vampire did want him around, but if they got this bong thing fixed Heero had to promise to stop leaving him out of everything. He wanted to know what was going on. Heero smirked. Duo had been so caught up in his thoughts that he had forgotten to put a wall around that last thought.

"I will Duo, I'll tell you everything that I know." Duo looked a little shocked and Quatre just heaved a sigh and smiled.

"Finally." They continued walking to the to the dorm in companionable silence until a question popped into Duo's mind that had bugged him the whole time he was on that roof.

"I've got a question." He stated out of nowhere and it was Heero to answer him this time.

"Shoot." Heero said as he nonchalantly slid his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans.

"Alright no offense to that Bram guy but he seemed like a real idiot, why the hell is he your go-to-guy for info?" Quatre snickered and even Heero smirked a little.

"Bram is a bit of a moron sometimes but he's also the mirror operator." Heero answered him. Duo liked this new Heero that told him what he wanted to know. Even though Heero wasn't very good at explaining things yet.

"What does that mean."

"Well it's sort of like the phone operator except vampires use mirrors instead of phones to communicate with each other. All "calls" placed through the mirror system go through Bram. It's quicker and there's no chance that anyone but Bram will be listening. Though technically Bram has a privacy policy that says no one will be listening to the conversations he still just happens to know all the vampire gossip and any unusual things that happen." Heero explained.

"Yeah he isn't exactly trustworthy with gossip but he knows how to keep important stuff to himself, and he's very loyal to Heero. Like you said he's a bit of an idiot." Duo and Quatre laughed at the look on Heero's face. Quatre was just happy to get his mind off what he had to do in a just a few minutes. They were already at the dorm building and Duo was entering the access code, still laughing.

They ascended the stairs to the room that Duo and Quatre shared, a very serious cloud had descended upon the group as the realization that in just a minute they would be doing something that was very dangerous that very few people had ever tried. Quatre had a rare gift that seemed to be reminiscent of the psychic abilities he had possessed when he was still a mortal. He hadn't been a psychic by any means but he had the uncanny ability to know what people were thinking and feeling. He was sort of a hacker of people's psyches. When he had become a vampire his powers had not only remained with him, but they had expanded so that he had been able to physically see bonds instead of just sense them. When he had first seen one he had assumed that all vampires could it wasn't until much later that he had found out that apparently there were less than a handful of vampires in history that had been able to do that.

Duo unlocked the door to their room and everyone came in but nobody seemed to know what to do. Duo had no idea why they were here anyway, he was just happy to be out of Bram's place. Quatre had never done this before he had only heard of it. Heero had seen it performed once but had no idea what exactly happened, he just hoped that Quatre's abilities were strong enough that he would know what was wrong when he saw it. For a long time nobody moved until Heero got tired of waiting and went over and grabbed the chairs from Quatre and Duo's desk. He set them up so they were facing each other and were less than a foot apart then he sat down in one of them and looked expectantly at Duo. Duo, sensing that something big was going to happen and it obviously involved the bond, decided that he had better get one last question off his chest.

"Hey Heero before we do this I have to ask you something." Duo asked hesitantly, he knew he was about to breach a topic that Heero had previously been highly guarding.

"Alright." Heero responded equally hesitantly, sensing the weight of what Duo had on his mind.

"How come you never told me that you were bonded to Dilluvia?" Duo asked trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

"I wasn't." Heero responded curtly and instantly regretted how harsh it came out. He didn't want Duo to think he was upset with him, that vampire was just a touchy subject with him.

"Everyone just thought that we were because we were together all the time. Dilluvia had tried once, I told him that I didn't love him in any way but he thought I was just confused or he just didn't want to admit it to himself. It went very wrong, it could have been a lot worse if Dilluvia hadn't been such a strong vampire. Basically he was able to stop the process because he has an actual stone shard in his body and that gives him some level of control over the powers of the curse, but not enough power to force something as strong as a bond all the way through. My guess is he had forced it as far as it would go but then reversed it when he saw that I was dying." Heero's lengthy answer left Duo in something like a state of shock and he silently took his seat facing the vampire.

The air in the room grew heavy with anticipation. Wordlessly Quatre stepped forward and awaited Heero's instructions. He sent a silent prayer to Allah that nothing bad happen on the journey he was about to undertake. Heero speared Duo's eyes with his own and refused to let them go. When he spoke to Quatre he did so without looking away or blinking. Duo felt his eyes burning with the need to blink but he was too afraid to do it. His heart beat faster in his chest and his stomach twisted in nervous knots. He wondered if Heero felt scared at all or if the guy had forgotten what fear felt like. The vampire's face certainly looked as impassive as ever.

"Duo I need you to give me your hands, Quatre I'm going to tell you a spell that you have to repeat verbatim and you can't practice it in your head okay?" Both boy's nodded and Duo extended his shaking hands toward Heero who looked at them for a second as though he were preparing himself for something. When their hands finally touched it was like electricity shot straight to Duo's already nervous stomach. Heero's hands were so incredibly strong and yet the held onto his so gently. The skin was soft but not too soft with a few calluses here and there. Duo found himself briefly wondering what those hands would feel like all over his body but he cut off those thoughts quick. 'Fuck what is wrong with me? This certainly isn't the time or place to be thinking like that but damn there's no denying that vampire is still the sexiest creature I have ever laid eyes on.' Duo mentally berated himself for his inappropriate thoughts and tried to just focus on the situation but his thoughts kept circling back to the cool skin pressed against his palms. Duo wasn't sure if he felt more nervous holding Heero's hands or infinitely safer but he did know that he didn't want the vampire to ever let go.

Heero didn't understand how he could have such a strong reaction to merely touching the hands of someone who really was practically a stranger to him. But Duo didn't feel like a stranger, he felt like he had known the longhaired boy forever. It almost felt like his heart had started racing, he hadn't felt anything like that since he was alive, nothing even close to it. God Duo had creamy skin and so warm, he wanted to run his hands all over that warm smooth body…shit what the hell was he thinking. How did Duo do these things to him and how the hell was he supposed to resist the boy? He didn't ever want to let go of the boy.

"Duo I need you to repeat after me, don't think about what you're saying just speak." Heero said in such a heavy tone that any safety the vampire's hands had offered Duo flew out the door and left only nervous butterflies in his stomach and an overactive adrenaline system.

"Yuscuru di denra lun denra di espiri. Hirir li' espiri toau." Duo repeated the strange words as they flowed into his ears without even thinking about what he was doing. Suddenly his hands felt inexplicably glued to Heero's and the room around him grew so dark that all he could see was Heero in the shadows and the outline of Quatre. He noticed that there was an odd violet glow surrounding his body and almost seemed to be moving like it water flowing around him and following his linked hands to flow around Heero as well.

Quatre stepped forward so that Duo could actually see his feature in the dark and Heero spoke again in that strange language. Somehow they all just understood that these lines were meant for Quatre to repeat. It was a much longer incantation than the one Duo had to speak but he still did not allow himself to think about the words being said. Quatre started to glow with his own light. The glow that surrounded he and Heero shrank into two concentrated bands of pale purple light that was wrapped around their glued together hands light luminescent rubber bands. A voice echoed in Duo's mind. It was Heero and he was telling him to close his eyes. Duo didn't understand but he did not think about it just closed his eyes at the same time Heero did. He instantly missed those deep blue orbs staring into his own, reassuring him and watching over him.

Quatre stood still for a moment, he knew what he had to do he just wasn't exactly sure how he went about doing it. He could see very plainly now the bond between Heero and Duo but it was so different from the usual vampire bond. It glowed with that unusual color and it seemed to be constantly fluctuating. He stared hard at the bright rings encircling the wrists of the boys sitting in front of him. He had the almost irresistible urge to touch the shiny bands of light but it scared the shit out of him to do it. He was scared for a lot more than his own safety too. Almost anything could happen in a delicate process like this. A bond was like apart of the soul, he would playing with all their lives if chose to do this.

Five deep breaths and two counts to ten later and Quatre watched as his hand stretched out in slow motion to grasp the glowing connective band firmly. But he never reached it. It was like being thrown head first into an ice-cold lake then almost as fast he found the light encircling him and warming him from the inside out. Images began to flash around him but they would flitter by before he got a chance to see what they were of. He did notice that the bright light surrounding him would pulse with intensity or shrink into the shadows with the passing of each new image. He caught one of the images and speared it with his gaze, surprised when it stayed as long as he looked at it. It was an image of Heero with the oddest look of hope and fear in his eyes. Quatre had never seen anything like it but he knew that this was one of Duo's memories. He wasn't sure how he knew but he knew a lot of things all of a sudden. Like how familiar the relationship between the two felt and he became very aware of something Heero was holding back from Duo but it had nothing to do with Dilluvia. Quatre would definitely have to convince Heero to talk to Duo about that little secret if they all made it out of this alive.

He saw another image flying by. It was Heero spotting Duo out of the corner of his eye and turning to quickly leave, another one of Duo's memories. The bond was trying to tell him something and it seemed it dealt specifically with Duo. He watched the light around him grow dim and it struck him what was happening. He had never heard of anything like it. Another image floated by, this one was very recent. Heero was saying something to Bram but Quatre couldn't here what. The blonde did however get the overwhelming sense that Duo felt very distant from Heero at that moment. All these secrets that Heero kept was putting a strain on their bond. Quatre had never seen a bond that reacted to individual emotion and he wondered what it could possibly mean. He was sure that Duo was the key to fixing this since Heero appeared to be pretty stable emotion wise, just a little confused and scared by the strength of what he felt for Duo.

The bond shrank back with even more with this new memory, the light becoming almost extinguished except for that super concentrated band. Quatre reached out once again, positive that this time he would be allowed to touch it. His fingers ghosted along the light and when nothing happened he wrapped his entire fist around it and held on waiting for the worst. But nothing happened. He focused on the thin ray of light he held between his fingers and he could suddenly feel something strange inside him. He could feel the bond. And it felt incredibly strong with a sort of durable strength instead of intensity. And old, it was so very old. Like it had been through great distances of space and time, a thousand times greater than Quatre would have expected. It felt as old as Heero himself. As old as … Duo? Duo's soul was full of youthful energy and curiosity but as Quatre held onto the bond the boy's soul felt even more ancient than Heero's. Was that possible? Was Duo what people called "an old soul"? Was there even such a thing? Well all he knew was that the bond between these two did indeed go much deeper than any normal vampire bond and he had some idea of how to fix it. So now that he was done with his investigation he was very eager to leave the very personal feeling space. It made him very uncomfortable to be there. He wondered how exactly they were supposed to end all this.

He waited for a few seconds and watched a few more memories pass by of Heero dodging away when he saw Duo coming. Quatre wondered if Duo caught the covetous looks Heero would give him just before he ducked away. He felt odd watching the memories of his friend, it seemed like way more than just an invasion of privacy. He really wondered how this was supposed to stop. He stared at Heero for a moment but the vampire seemed unconscious, as did the braided young man sitting across from him. He stood there uncomfortably for another minute trying to not watch the new memory that was passing right in front of him. Of course when you try not to do something it's absolutely the only thing you can possibly do. This memory had caught his eye because he had seen his own face in it. This was an extremely recent memory. It was of them just a few moments ago when they had been walking down the street towards this room. He watched himself quietly walking by as Heero seemed to be speaking to Duo. That oddly hopeful look was in the vampire's eyes and Quatre was shocked that he had missed such an un-Heero like expression on the vampire's face. Duo had noticed though and Quatre could feel this overwhelming sense of relief and closeness to Heero coming from Duo. Quatre realized three things in that moment. One, he was still holding onto the boy's bond, two the light from said bond was growing brighter confirming his theory that it fluctuated with the emotions of the two boys, and three, he was in a hell of a lot of trouble. His hand felt permanently glued to the band of violet light and white-hot pain lanced up his arm and through his body. Intensely painful flames licked his insides and electric shocks pulsed up and down his spine. The pain was so incredible that his lungs burned from his silent screaming and his eyes were pinched closed so tight they stung. His entire body ached with the strain, his muscles twitched with every wave of pain the laced up his arm but still he couldn't let go of the band of light. His voice wouldn't work so he called out with his mind to anybody and everybody and kept screaming until he passed out from the pain.

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Alas another chapter done and I must leave you...but not before I get in that last little blabbering. Okay so You guys are so cool, I can't believe a hundred people reviewed this story, I didn't think a hundred people had read this dribble. That's so cool! So I drew a picture for it, it's up on my website but it didn't all fit in my scanner. Oh well it's not that great anyway just Heero doing a little payback spying on Duo. So thanks bunches to everyone who reviewed. Thank you **Demonskid**, **one-winged-shinigami**( I thank you ...uh to the extreme, heh heh), **cHixOr Neko** (you know I love you...and I know the exact kind of stories you're talking about and I am amazed and honored that you think of this as one of them), **Natasha aka Tash**, **Precognition74**, **foxy-comic-death** (thank you for the many great reviews), **Clingy** (thank you that's incredibly flattering), **Taki-bi Misuriki**, **ahanchan**, **radical fxxcker** (heh nice name...Thank you for noticing the details and mmm sexy vampire blood drinking you know I can't put it off for too long), **Eien Kisaki**, **Hikaru** (I am honored you have been reading my fic for QUITE a while ...he he, hope you still stick around after this chapter), **Silvermane1**, **Kira May Maxwell** (well Heero kicked some ass), **Dark Devotions** (I dont' where my muse went, Tahaiti or something...didn't take me the bastard...I'm gonna adopt). Thanks everybody so much! See you next chapter.  



	8. Hallelujah

So this one didn't take long to get out and you'll see why. Just a quick chapter that I've been dying to write. I don't think it came out very well. I suppose I should warnings for this chapter but that would give everything away so

- slight spoilers alert - if you aren't here because you love two boy's romping in the hay or vampire action you should probably not read this part but then again I have no idea why you would be here then - end of small amount of spoiling -

The title is a song by Leonard Cohen that sucks (sorry Mr. Cohen) when you here him sing it but Rufus Wainwrite redid it, thank God, and now it's a really great song that I believe is on the Shrek soundtrack. Ok it loses a few cool points there but it's still a wonderfull song and I really see it fitting with Duo. I know I broke the blood theme with the titles and I used a song instead of my old title. Am I getting my stories confused, no you will just have to read and see. I think this song is an integral part of Duo's mind and an important focus for the chapter so I'm breaking the pattern for a reason. I don't why but I wrote out the song at the end because well I just couldn't resist it. It's sort of like when the director decides to play dramatic gut wrenching music during the credits, nobody really pays attention except the idiots like me who actually listen to the music while they see the movie for the first time. So the chapter kind of ends on an upbeat note but I still wanted the dramatic fade out music. Call it poetic license I just think the song's that frickin cool. Anyway on with the chapter. I think I'm going to update These Boots after this so it might be a little while until the next update, but big glomping thanks to everyone who reads this!

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The Cursed No More

Hallelujah

Duo Maxwell sat in the back of a very large classroom not paying an ounce of attention to what the professor was lecturing on. Hell he wasn't even sure if he was in the right class. It had been three days since that weird incident in their bedroom and Quatre swore up and down that he was feeling fine now but the boy didn't seem to have as much energy as he used to. Quatre had been hospitalized for a day, the longest they could risk before the doctors started to notice rather unusual things about the boy. It had been Trowa who had known what to do after that. He had force fed the blonde and kept him in his room night and day, his visible green eye always watching over the boy. Quatre had been in and out of consciousness for most of that day but was much better by night fall and this morning Duo had delivered him breakfast and he had been out of bed and wandering around. Trowa however refused to let the boy leave his sight which meant that, like last night, Heero would be spending the night in his room. It was the most uncomfortable feeling in the world. First of all Heero Yuy wasn't exactly the most friendly guy in the world, add sexual tension and a horrific experience to all that and it did not bode well for lighthearted conversation and a good night's rest. Especially when your new roommate never needed to sleep and refused to pretend like he did like Quatre had. So Heero would stay up all night staring out the window like the sky could answer some burning question that was eating at his mind and Duo would chatter on determinedly before he lay in bed and try to force his body to sleep. His unrest had not gone unnoticed and the rest of the night had been spent with an irritable Heero Yuy trying to explain what had happened to the spirited blonde vampire.

"He touched the bond, like when the guy at the bar tried to touch you. At the time you had been surrounded by the forces of the bond and he had tried to bypass them and the result was pain." The memory of Heero's words instantly conjured up an image of a writhing doubled over Quatre screaming in agony like Duo had never heard before. He shuttered uncontrollably, it had easily been the worst experience of his life and he had been in some serious shit before.

"So why did you ask Quatre to do something like that." Reflecting back on it now Duo realized just how accusing his voice had sounded.

"I asked him to look at it, not to touch it. He has a rare gift Duo. There are only a handful of others in the world who can do what he can and we needed his help, or did you want the entire vampire community after you when it finally wore off. Being previously bonded to me would make your head a highly sought after trophy." Duo remembered the guilty look that had passed over the vampire's snarling face. That had ended their conversation about Quatre. It had been early in the morning anyway so Duo had just gotten ready for class and left…three hours early. He had wandered around, got Quatre's breakfast then spent the rest of the morning talking to the boy about what was wrong with he and Heero.

Quatre had said that their bond was very unusual. It was possible that there had never been one like it before. It felt old like it had already existed before the boys had even met. And it seemed that the bond could sense what the two were thinking and feeling and was stronger when they felt closer to each other. Like when Duo felt like Heero was opening up to him or when Heero felt very protective of Duo. Moments like that strengthened the bond. Quatre had said that the bond felt very strong from Heero's end almost all the time but Duo's fluctuated with his more reactive emotions. Duo had felt bad about that, so it was his fault that they were all in this situation because he couldn't stop himself from getting hurt over stupid things like secrets or jealousy. Heero had a right to keep secrets after all, but lately the boy had been making an effort to open up to Duo and that was heart warming if not shocking.

Quatre had also asked Duo to keep his eye on Heero's health and the braided boy knew exactly what his friend had meant by that. Somehow he had to force Heero into feeding. He didn't think he could do it the same way Trowa had force fed Quatre. Not unless he knocked Heero unconscious first. Which was becoming a more appealing idea the more he thought about how grouchy Heero was. Understandable though, since no doubt Heero blamed himself for this whole mess just as much as Duo did.

So now here he was, he had been half an hour early for class and had pretended like he had wanted to ask the teacher something. It must have been a good fake question because the guy had rattled on and on until class had started and during class he would glance over every once in a while and smile at Duo. Like he was doing right now. Shit. Duo smiled back and pretended to take some notes but as soon as the guy turned away his mind quickly slipped back to bouncing from memory to memory with little congruency. His brain stuck once more on a memory that had been plaguing him all morning, he kept coming back to it even though it was probably the least significant thing that had happened that day. They had taken Quatre to the hospital, which luckily had been _very_ busy so they didn't have time to do the usual checks on him and had just started administering tranquilizers and pain pills to the boy with no questions as to why he was in so much agony.

Anyway, the memory took place at some point after they had left and sat down in the waiting room to give Trowa some privacy with Quatre's sleeping form. Heero had noticed the cut from the fire escape on Duo's leg which had bled quite a bit, much to Duo's surprise since it didn't really hurt that much. Heero had asked a nurse for some bandages and antiseptic to which she had not complained because they really couldn't spare the room for such a minor injury. The vampire had then ripped Duo's jeans completely with very little effort and began cleaning the wound. It had been the look in Heero's eyes that made the memory stand out so well in Duo's mind. That carnal desirous look as Heero wiped the blood off his leg. It almost seemed like Heero would lose control right there in the middle of the hospital and start sucking the blood straight from his open wound. Was it wrong that that turned him on a little? Okay a lot. Oh shit, now he had a hard on and class was obviously over because everyone was scrambling for the door trying to get out of the boring science lecture.

He thought about trying to hide it with his backpack and he wished he had taken out a book or something but he just hadn't cared enough at the time. So he just said fuck it and waited until everyone but the professor was gone then got up, not bothering to hide anything, and made his way to the door. The professor smiled at him then his eyes had widened just slightly and Duo knew the reason why. Then much to Duo's surprise, and horror, the professor had given him his home phone number and offered to continue their discussion on superconductivity later at his place. Duo had smiled and gotten the hell out of there. Superconductivity? Was that really what he had asked about? Wow his mind must have really been other places he didn't even know what that word meant. Oh well, at least now he had some idea as to how to seduce Heero into drinking his blood.

He had gone to the rest of his classes in a similar state of apathy to what the professors were lecturing on and instead spent most of the day trying to come up with a way to fake injure himself and tempt Heero into licking the wound. So far his brain had come up with zilch and his dorm was fast approaching. He wandered up the steps, considering tripping on them but was sure that it wouldn't make him bleed just break his leg. So he unlocked the door to his room and very dejectedly took a seat at his desk. Heero had been sitting at Quatre's desk looking at some papers or something and hadn't even bothered to look up when Duo had entered the room. So he was going to make this difficult, was he?

Duo searched his desk for something to injure himself with while he pretended to be getting ready to do his homework. It became obvious fairly quickly that there was in fact no need for the farce since Heero didn't even bat an eye and just kept reading whatever he had in his hands. Duo sighed and spotted a pair of scissors. He could stab himself? But he needed a reason why he had been using the scissors in the first place and he couldn't think of a reasonable one. Hmmm, paper clips, gummy worms, a picture of himself and Howard dressed up for Halloween. Howard's vampire costume suddenly seemed a lot funnier but his catholic school girl/vampire slayer costume was a lot less entertaining. Especially since he was laughing and pointing his fake wooden stake right at Howard's smiling head. He tapped his fingers for bit on his book, he couldn't think of a damn thing to hurt himself with that would make any sense. And just having his book open felt more and more ridiculous as the minutes ticked away. He reached into his backpack to get his notes for the class, or really any class it didn't matter it wasn't like he was going to actually do any work, when his finger slipped along the edge of the notebook and a bright red line instantly appeared across the pad of his pointer. Well that took care of that, he was injured now. But did it have to be a paper-cut, those little suckers hurt like a bitch. Speaking of suckers. Duo glanced over Heero's way and noticed the boy's eyes had stopped scanning the lines of the papers he held. Yeah he had the vamp's attention now.

"Damn I cut myself." Duo swore then smirked when he saw Heero's head lift up just slightly.

"Fucking paper-cuts man, hurt like hell for something so tiny." Heero's head was all the way up now and turned towards him just slightly. Duo grinned like an idiot then forced himself to stay calm. He was excited at having the boy's attention but a little nervous about tricking Heero into what he wanted the vampire to do. He used everything Quatre had showed him to keep his thoughts and emotions hidden from Heero but it was difficult with all these feelings swirling in him and new ones popping up out of nowhere.

"Oh man, now it's starting to bleed. Damn." Heero turned to face him completely and stared unabashed as a small drop of blood formed on Duo's finger before it dropped with a tiny _splunk_ on Duo's desk.

"Guess I better get a band-aid." Duo said and it sounded a little bit like an invitation, though Duo wasn't completely sure what he was inviting Heero to do about it. But Heero didn't move, he just sat in his chair staring at his new roommate. So the braided boy got up and headed over to the bathroom, passing very close to Heero on his way. He could have sworn he felt the vamp shutter a little as he passed.

Heero let out the unnecessary breath he had been holding once Duo disappeared completely into the bathroom. Was Duo trying to tease him or was the boy that clueless as to the effect his blood had on Heero? God he had been able to smell it the second Duo had cut himself and it had gone straight to his head. How long had it been since he had first fed on the boy? Probably long enough to start worrying about losing control of his body to the demon known as Hunger that dwelled within him. His fangs ached sharply and his mind was dancing in and out of focus but the smell was strong and so was the need. His stomach churned with desire and his cold heart clenched painfully in his chest. Like a frozen limb that had suddenly been exposed to too much heat too fast. He wanted Duo, he wanted him now, and he wanted him more than he had ever wanted anything in his life. He groaned out his frustration. He couldn't feed on this boy, he just couldn't. That face was…he just couldn't do it. Duo's voice echoed from the bathroom and to Heero's bloodlust clouded mind it had sounded horribly seductive.

"We're out of band-aids. Guess it'll just have to heal itself." Of course they were out of band-aids, because this was torture the hell out of ancient vampires named Heero day. Duo sauntered back into the room but did not return to his seat. He happily strode over to where Heero was sitting, still facing the boy's now empty chair, and draped an arm around the vampire's shoulders. And of course it had to be _that_ arm, with _that_ hand, sitting right next to his face. The sweet smell of that scarlet ambrosia teased his senses and cleared his mind of all rational thought. He swallowed hard, the smell so strong he could taste Duo in his mouth. The gums around his fangs burned and he ran his tongue along them to ease the pain but it did nothing except bring to his attention the fact that they had fully extended without him even knowing it. If Duo kept this up he wouldn't be able to stop himself from having his way with the tempting boy.

"Hey Heero how well do you know Calculus?" The boy smiled and Heero was sure it was a come-hither smile if he had ever seen one.

"Pretty well, I remember a lot of the concepts from when they were invented." Heero smirked at Duo's little double take.

"Guess you've had plenty of time to practice too, huh? So can you help me with something?" There was that wanton tone again in Duo's voice and a mischievous gleam in those violet eyes.

"Sure." God what was he doing? He should just tell Duo to go figure it out on his own and stop putting himself through this torture. But lord did he want this boy's torture.

"Just let me get my notebook." Heero could have sworn Duo was walking with a little more sway in his hips than usual. The braid certainly seemed to swing more making Heero think of a hypnotist's watch and he was falling for it. He would walk through fire under this boy's spell if Duo but uttered the word.

"Ouch this damn cut." The braided magician complained as he slapped his notebook on Heero's desk. Then he turned wide eyes and pouty lips on the vampire. If Heero's heart beat naturally he was sure it would have stopped right then.

"Kiss it and make it better?" Mmmm you bet. Is what Heero thought but what came out of his mouth was a very intelligent…

"What?"

"Haven't you ever heard that before?" Duo was still smiling that God-awful smile that set Heero's insides on fire.

"Yes I have. Duo are you… are you trying to…" Damn he never lost his nerves like this. He couldn't even confront the boy about what he was so obviously doing. He didn't understand why Duo was trying to trick him into drinking. Wasn't the boy scared of what would happen if Heero went for the ploy? Wasn't he scared of being bitten again?

"Look Heero I made a promise to Quatre and I love that kid like a brother. If you wont do this willingly then I _will_ force you." Heero could sense a little hesitation in the boy. He sighed; Duo had no idea what he was getting into.

"And how exactly would you do that?" Heero asked menacingly while he slowly stood from his chair. There was a wave of uncertainty that burst off the boy before it got quickly squashed down. Heero mentally smirked, but it was a bitter smirk. At least this way the boy would fear him like he should.

"I will knock your ass unconscious and pour it down your throat if I have to." Duo shot back with equal ferocity and Heero was surprised that he still didn't sense any fear from the boy. Even Wufei would be a little nervous right about now.

"Go ahead." Heero said both threateningly and with a tone that implied he didn't think Duo could do it. Duo stared hard at the boy, his eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. Yes Heero was more intimidating but that didn't mean he was a wimp and he wouldn't stand for being pushed around by the vampire. But Heero wasn't pushing. He was trying to make him afraid but he didn't really want Duo to be scared of him, he was just so jaded by his long existence. The vampire's eyes looked dangerous beneath that furrowed brow but hidden within them were desire and lust and hope. Heero didn't want him to back down, and he didn't intend to.

Duo took a step closer to Heero, which seemed to throw the vampire off balance. He had thought that Duo had given up. Well then, this is what the vamp deserved for underestimating him. He pressed his body flush against the immortal boy's and tilted his head exposing the flesh of his neck. His cheek grazed the vampire's jaw and his lips brushed the boy's earlobe. He was pretty sure that Heero had stopped breathing, not that the vampire needed to but Duo was used to him doing it out of habit. The violet-eyed boy smiled as Heero remained frozen where he stood. He really hadn't expected this had he? Duo chuckled lightly as he brought his injured hand up to his Heero's face and let it slide along Heero's jaw, pausing to cup the boy's cheek, then guiding the vampire's head down to his neck. Heero did not resist, he merely let his head be guided by Duo's hand until he lips were just an inch away from the boy's outstretched neck.

"I'm not scared of you Heero" Duo whispered softly into the boy's ear smiling when Heero shivered. "And I want this." He let his hand wander down Heero's face, his fingers ghosting across the boy's lips. Heero groaned and tried really hard to stop himself but he licked Duo's injured finger as it brushed his bottom lip. He felt guilty as hell but just that tiny taste and Heero knew there was no going back.

"How do you want to do this?" The vampire asked and his voice shook just a little.

"What's the best way?" Duo's voice was thick with what Heero wanted to believe was desire but he wouldn't allow himself to think that Duo wanted this as much as he did. But then Duo's tongue was licking his ear and that finger was toying with his lips. He took the damn appendage full into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it, loving the little noises Duo was making in the back of his throat. Then he sucked on the finger, hard, and got a full drop of blood that slid around on his tongue. God he had never tasted anything like this boy. He was warm and bitter but just a little sweet. The drop was filled with Duo's masculinity and strength yet his kindness and his grace, it was like drinking the very essence of the boy. It didn't just quench his thirst; it brought them closer together. But it was more than just how good Duo tasted; there was power in that little drop. It seized control of all his senses and forced his focus to narrow to just he and Duo.

"Fuck it." He said hoarsely as he grabbed a rather shocked Duo and fell back down onto Quatre's desk chair, pulling the braided boy to straddle him. He stared into those violet orbs like they could save him, could stop him from doing this but they didn't. Those eyes urged him on with silent passion and need. So Heero drew the bartender closer to his body, reveling in the body heat that radiated from the boy's fair skin, and delicately tilted that braided head with one slender finger.

Duo's eyes slid shut and let Heero's fingers play with the line of his jaw then slowly slide their way down the expanse of the exposed flesh of his neck. They teased over his collarbone before circling back up and slowly pushing Duo's sleeve over his shoulder. Heero's incredibly powerful hand gripped Duo's shoulder and his thumb swirled in erotic circles at the base of the boy's neck. Heero contemplated freeing Duo's hair from that confining brad but that would not be good for his psyche not to mention it was a huge invasion of Duo's personal space. Despite the guilt that was practically eating him alive he could still barely keep his lust for the young man in check. But he couldn't just take what he needed from the boy. He wanted to be gentle with Duo. He wanted it to last.

He stroked Duo's back with his other hand and leaned into the bartender's body, inhaling the spicy exotic scent of the boy. He let out a long breath against Duo's flesh and let his lips trail caressingly along the muscular lines of his beauty's neck. It unnerved him how easily he slipped up and called Duo by that pet name when the passion was turned up. Just like that first night he had seen him in the bar. He had to admit the resemblance was unnerving and it only doubled the guilt he felt for doing this. But he needed to taste the boy, now, and he was way past the point-of-no-return.

He could feel how fast Duo's heart was beating but there was still no fear in the boy's face just anticipation. With every pulse Heero nearly lost himself and sank his fangs into that wonderful silky flesh and the vein that he could feel just beneath the surface. God it was calling to him, or was that Duo? The boy was staring at him through soft bangs with a look that could have melted anyone's insides into goo. The vampire let his fangs barely scrape across the boy's flesh. Not enough to pierce flesh, not yet, just enough to warn Duo of his intent to which the boy responded by pulling himself even closer to Heero and nearly puncturing himself with the extended incisors. And that was about all Heero could handle. With something between a groan and a whimper Heero pushed his fangs through the boy's skin until they barely pricked the large vein found there and were instantly washed over with the essence of Duo's life.

His whole mouth was flooded with Duo and it was amazing, he could not only hear the boy's heart beat but he could feel it like it was his own. He could feel the boy in his lap and those seductive hips in his hands and yet he was also aware of what Duo felt with his legs straddled over the vampire and his arms wrapped around Heero's shoulders. It was like they were one person. Quatre hadn't mentioned this part when he had briefed him on what it would feel like should Heero ever stop being stupid (Quatre's choice of words though Heero found he was starting to agree with them) and decide to 'take the plunge,' so to speak, with Duo. But what happened next Quatre _had_ warned him about, though it wasn't quite sufficient to just hear about it, one definitely had to experience this to ever fully understand how weird it felt.

There were memories filling his head, one right after the other, but they weren't his. He saw a young boy with dirty blonde hair coughing up blood into a smooth pale hand that belonged to the owner of the memories. The boy's face twisted in agony before it fell slack and he died right before a pair of wide violet eyes. He saw a nun singing while she cradled a broken boy in her arms telling him that she would always love him so she wished he would stop fighting. He saw a little longhaired Duo scream and kick his way through police into the ashes of a burnt down building where he found the nun barely alive and near unrecognizable she was so covered with burns. The terrified youth gathered the woman into his tiny arms and held her as best he could, whispering that he would love her forever as she died in his arms. A hollow name lingered in Heero's mind when that memory ended.

Helen

Duo was a little older and looked like he would kill anyone who dared to even say good morning to him as he walked briskly down the sidewalk and burst into a man's home. His empty eyes expressed nothing as his voice whispered, "This is for Helen you sick fuck," and he shot the man right as he woke up. The whore next to him merely shrugged and dug into the dead man's wallet as Duo walked away. Duo watched a television set in a store window from a snow-covered street as the news announced that the infamous arsonist, suspected to be behind the Maxwell Church Massacre and many other horrific local fires, was found dead three days ago. Duo was in a dark hotel room curled up naked on the floor while a large man was putting on his jacket. He threw some twenties at the broken boy and left without a word. Duo was older and still looked like he hated the world, he was storming up the steps of a church where at the top step he threw down his cross and walked away humming an old song. "And the baffled king composing Hallelujah."

He collides with a smiling Howard when he steps off the stairs and is offered a job at the old man's bar. Duo and Howard are sitting at the counter that Heero recognized from the bar and Duo shakily opens an envelope then frowns. Howard looks heart broken and takes the paper from the boy, reads it, smiles and punches Duo's arm. Duo's first day of college, his first A, and Howard is there through it all. It's a late night at the bar, Duo's tired but still trying to get some homework done. He stashes it away when the bell over the door signal's a customer. The stranger takes a seat at the bar, there's some banter and Heero knows exactly who the stranger is. His own midnight-blue eyes gradually look up from the bar and he wondered if he always looked at Duo like that.

Heero broke away then, knowing he had fed enough to keep him going for quite some time. He had no idea that the cheerful boy he now shared his life with had such an agonizing past. At least now he understood the dark heavy cloud that he had felt surrounding the boy's mind when they had first met. Perhaps it was Duo's past that made Heero always feel like the boy could understand him. Their lives had been equally horrific. Duo's hadn't been as spread out as his was though, and Heero was shocked if not a little worried at how well adjusted the boy seemed. He wondered just how much of himself Duo hid from those around him. And he found that he really wanted to find out everything there was to Duo Maxwell. Everything that no one would expect to be there if they took him at face value, which Heero had to guiltily admit he done. He had assumed many things about Duo and had been wrong about almost all of them. At least he understood why Duo wasn't afraid of him. The boy had seen hell on earth, and he had nothing left to fear.

Heero let his head drop back with his mouth slightly open, he almost felt like he actually needed to take the deep shuttering breaths that his lungs couldn't seem to get enough of. His let his eyes slide shut as he concentrated on the weird sensations that were going on in his body. But despite how strange he felt he also recognized the power and strength that flowed through his body at that moment. Actually he felt remarkably rejuvenated, he felt more powerful than he had ever in his life, even after feeding off of Dilluvia himself. His senses were so heightened it was almost couldn't control what he heard or felt. And his strength, he was almost afraid he wouldn't be able to control it either it was so intense. Was all this from Duo? Or was it simply because it had been so long since he had allowed himself a real meal. All thought processes shut down when Heero felt something wet and warm on the edge of his mouth. His eyes snapped open to see Duo licking his now blood tinged lips and staring at Heero with barely concealed lust.

'Oh God he just tasted himself.' And with that thought Heero couldn't take it any longer, he may have felt guilty for drinking from the boy but he wanted this even more. Heero reached up and dragged Duo's braided head down until their lips met in a gentle exploring kiss. Incredibly soft lips pressed firmly back against his own and Heero had to admit he was a little shocked that the boy was responding but not shocked enough to break the kiss. In fact, now that he knew Duo wanted this too, he deepened it. He pulled the boy closer to him letting on arm snake around that slender waist and under the thin T-shirt to touch the boy's silky skin. Duo responded by sliding up on his lap and moaning into the kiss, leaving his mouth open just enough for Heero to slip his tongue in and taste the boy in a whole new way. A moan escaped Heero's lips when Duo's tongue hesitantly sought out his own and began stroking it. Booth Heero's hands now slipped under the boy's T-shirt and roamed over as much of that deliciously smooth skin as he could reach. Their tongues wrestled with each other for a dominance that neither really cared to gain, it was the struggle that was exciting.

God so this was why he couldn't be around the boy, this was why he had been avoiding the beauty for weeks. He wanted Duo and he wanted all of him. Their lips crushed against each other with bruising force and their mouths melted together. Heero gasped when one of Duo's hands decided to slide under his shirt and glide caressingly over his tensed abs and continued up until…

_Knock, knock, knock. _Both boys froze and stared at each other like they just now realized what they had been doing. Duo was blushing and Heero's guilt started to resurface. But God Duo was beautiful when blushed. The knocking came again and they were startled out of their mutual reverie.

"Yes?" Heero shouted at the door and almost groaned at how pathetically wanton it had sounded. There was a hesitant cough on the other side of the door then Trowa's amused voice echoed from the hallway.

"Quatre wants to know if you guys want to do like a movie night?" They looked at each other, looked at the door, looked back at each other and Duo smirked.

I've heard there was

A secret chord

That David played,

And it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care

For music, do you?

It goes like this:

The fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled king

Composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah   
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong

But you needed proof

You saw her bathing

On the roof

Her beauty and the

Moonlight overthrew you

She tied you to a kitchen chair

She broke your throne,

And she cut your hair

And from your lips

She drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah

Maybe I've been here before

I know this room

I walked this floor

I used to live alone

Before I knew you

Seen your flag

On the marble arch

Love is not a victory march

It's a cold and

It's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah

There was a time

You let me know

What's really going on below

But now you never show

It to me do you?

I remember when

I moved in, you

Your holy dark

Was moving too

And every breath we drew

Was Hallelujah

Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah  
Hallelujah

Maybe there's a God above

And all I ever

Learned from love

Was how to shoot

At someone

Who outdrew you

Its not a cry

You can hear at night

Its not somebody

Who's seen the light

It's a cold and

It's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah   
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

* * *

Ok everybody that's it for now, sorry it was so short but come on we were all dying for the Heero/Duo action. I know it's still a little confusing but don't worry Heero and Duo will talk about the little memory share and a lot of things will make more sense. I know what everyone is going to be confused about but I don't want to say anything yet, I promise it will be explained. Ok I guess I'm out of stuff to ramble on about. Anyone want to know where the word Ok came from? No I suppose not. Ok now I'm really out of things to ramble about. Thank you to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter. I need to become a much better artist, I want to draw a scene from this chapter, I mean come on vamp action. Oh well maybe I will try. Yeah I'm just gonna shut up, nobody's actually still reading this are they? Well if you are I love, you're super cool, please review. Yeah I'm a whore for that stuff, I admit it.  



	9. Blood Stained

Incredibly long time no see, eh? Yeah, I suck. You may throw things at me, no wait read the chapter first then throw things at me. Believe me I give you reason to. It's long and boring and has little boy/boy action. However we are approaching the end so yeah...don't hate me too much. It's as grammatically poor as my writing always is, historical references are iffy at best and hardly accurate, and it's dull. And I made everyone wait forever for this horrible drabble. On second thought, go ahead and throw things now.

* * *

The Cursed No More

Blood Stained

"I can't believe you guys rented 'Harold and Kumar go to White Castle?' That just seems weird." Duo turned the shiny DVD case over in his hands.

"What did you expect?" Quatre asked yawning from Heero's old bunk where the blonde had been spending most of his time since the whole bonding incident. Trowa smiled fondly at him and continued rubbing his calf from where he sat at the end of the bunk.

"I don't know, like Dracula or some kind of trippy sci-fi flick." Quatre laughed at him, it was embarrassing and heart warming at the same time. It was so good to see Quatre laughing instead of that deathly pale and frighteningly serious look that had been on his face for the past couple days. It was really good to see Quatre behaving like his old self too. Late movie nights with junk food were always a good sign that someone was recovering.

"We watch those sometimes for a good laugh, but it's not always funny. Those movies reflect what people actually think of us." Heero said from an obscure corner, he had spent most of the night wandering up and down the dorm room collecting things for his extended stay in Quatre's room. Although the blonde did seem to be recovering, no one was willing to drag him away from Trowa. Heero assumed that eventually he would take up permanent residence with Duo and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He knew they had a lot to talk about but he couldn't bring himself to take the boy aside and have the inevitable discussion. He wasn't really worried about what he had seen of Duo's past, it seemed the boy was actually coping magnificently well for such a disturbing young life. He was more concerned about what Duo had seen and how it would affect the boy's opinion of him, though if the kiss they shared were any judge he would say that Duo didn't think too poorly of him. But that could have just been something induced by the bite. It wasn't unheard of, people doing things like that after the first bite. These things were different for everybody and evoked different emotions and reactions.

"Honestly it's not like we're all sex addicts and have that insane crow's peak on our foreheads." Quatre said and Duo chuckled with an embarrassed shrug. He hadn't meant to bring up a delicate topic, he had just thought a movie about two stoned boys searching for perfect hamburgers was a weird choice for this group. Then again Duo wasn't sure if there was a weirder group of people in the world than the four of them sitting in this room.

"I wouldn't be so sure about the sex addict part. I've shared a wall with you two before and I'd have to say you guys go at it worse than rabbits." Heero grumbled in a dead-serious tone from a different corner of the room while he shoved a few shower supplies into a duffle bag. Duo laughed as Quatre sputtered and flushed furiously, even Trowa looked a little pink as he cleared his throat unnecessarily. Heero just continued pacing the room, stopping every once in a while to throw something in his bag. He had been doing this all night. Getting the bag and putting a few things in it while the movie was on, but now that it had ended he focused purely on packing. Duo got the distinct feeling that Heero was packing so intensely to avoid talking to him. Indeed the boy hadn't said a word to him all night. He would add his comments to the conversation in general, but nothing to Duo. He wouldn't even make direct eye contact with him. Duo couldn't figure out if the vampire regretted what had happened or was unsure of how to talk about it. It was funny how different Heero really was from the dark handsome stranger with cold eyes he had met that first night in the bar. But the dry humor of that stranger's was definitely Heero and the steel-blue eyes were his too, but that 'I don't give a shit about the world' attitude was just a cover, a mask. Heero really did care, or at least he cared about the small group of people that he called friends. Duo hoped that he was included in that group, hell after what had happened he hoped that maybe he could be something a little bit more than that. He wasn't sure when he had started seriously wanting the vampire, probably from the first night they met, but after tonight there was no denying it to himself. He was falling in love with Heero Yuy, the reluctant prince of the undead.

Heero's eyes shifted quickly to where Duo was sitting then away again. He had just gotten the strangest feeling from the boy and he could almost curse Quatre for teaching Duo to cover his thoughts. He desperately wanted to know what Duo had been thinking to cause that kind of look to pass over the boy's face and that mysterious change in the air. He sniffed a little, the air smelt different but not the way it smelled before something bad happened more like the way it smelled right before they had kissed…Was Duo thinking about it? What did that mean? He sighed inaudibly and stared at his duffle bag. He kept very few personal possessions since he moved around so often to keep his identity safe, and he had filled the bag quite a while ago. There were no more excuses, no more stalling, he had to face Duo.

"I'm done packing, Duo we should head back now and let Quatre rest." Duo nodded and picked himself off the couch, stretching and popping his back loudly. Quatre pouted from the bunk bed.

"Do you have to go already?" Heero was already half way to the door. Duo supposed that he would have to be alone with Heero at some point so it was better to get it over with now. What would they say to each other when they were back in the room? Would they talk about all the weird pictures that Duo knew were Heero's memories? What had Heero seen? Was it something about Duo's past that now made the vampire so reluctant to even look at him? There were many things that had happened in Duo's life that he was not exactly proud of, but from what he saw of Heero's memories the vampire was no stranger to pain and revenge. So why was Heero avoiding him again? It was just like that very first bite that had started this weird new chapter in Duo's life. Heero's guilt, that boy had a martyr streak in him a mile wide even if nobody realized it. Quatre had said something then about Heero trying to die and to this day the blonde seemed convinced that without his vigilance Heero would once again try to take his own life. That was always the kicker wasn't it? To really be a martyr you had to actually die first. Duo wasn't sure he was ready to face the truth behind Heero's sudden unwillingness to meet his eyes. He hoped the vampire wasn't planning anything stupid.

"I'm going to hang out a bit, why don't you go ahead and unpack." Heero frowned but did not look at Duo. He had to wonder if Duo was trying to avoid the conversation as well or if he was just avoiding the vampire altogether. It made Heero a little insecure, he hated feeling like that, so he grunted and left the dorm room without a single word to any of its inhabitants. Quatre frowned and glanced back to Duo.

"You didn't really have to stay here with me, I was just joking." Quatre was frowning on the outside because Duo was acting so dense. It was obvious that Heero really wanted the boy to go with him, and because of that the blonde couldn't help the little smile that was glowing inside of him. He was glad that Heero had found someone to ease the boy's pain and he was happy for Duo too. Though he hadn't known the longhaired boy as long as he had Heero, he knew enough of the boy's life to understand that Duo had very few happy memories despite his usually cheerful disposition. Now if he could just get the two to stop being so terribly thick when it came to their feelings. He had hope for Duo but Heero had centuries of pushing feelings down and building walls around them that would have to be broken through. Then again, it was obvious that Duo had gotten the boy to drink somehow and that Heero wanted _something_ more from the boy or why else would he be so disappointed that Duo hadn't gone with him.

"Quatre you know how you said that when Heero bit me we would see things. Well I saw some things and I'm sure Heero did too. I want to know how you met Heero, why does he say you're the only person he's ever turned." It was no use trying to pretend that Quatre didn't know about the bite, he had smiled knowingly at Duo the second the boy had walked into the room wearing his red turtleneck. But Duo hadn't thought that Quatre would sigh audibly and his eyes to look so sad as they glistened in the dim dorm room.

"It's true I am his only victim that survived to become a vampire but please do not think poorly of him Duo. You don't understand what it means to be a vampire. Vampires truly are the undead. We feel everything as if it were through a cloud. I don't remember what real hunger feels like, or thirst, or cold, or fatigue. When I touch Trowa I feel cold to him. I find that life holds less and less meaning as time goes on and nothing changes. I never change. If I didn't have Trowa with me I think I'd have lost my mind a long time ago. Heero just never wanted anyone to feel like that. He's been trying to kill himself so he will never lose control and create another vampire." Quatre paused, he thought for second that maybe Trowa shouldn't be here to listen to this. But Trowa had long ago told him that he did not hold any grudge against Heero and that he was happy to get to spend so many years with the man he loved.

"So he killed all his other victims?" Duo suddenly felt a little sick. He didn't think worse of Heero at all, he just felt bad for the vampire. Duo couldn't imagine the kind of life Heero had lead, even though he had gotten glimpses of it.

"Yes and no. As you know Dilluvia was the one who turned him into what he is and started the entire vampire curse. Heero did not take a single victim the entire time Dilluvia was alive. He didn't need to, Dilluvia brought them to him already within an inch of their life. If Heero hadn't finished the job they would have still died but it would have been slow and incredibly painful. When Dilluvia was gone, Heero took to surviving off of Bram's infinite supply. That's where Bram makes his real money, selling blood in bulk to vampires who can't stand the thought of taking their own victims. Then Heero reached the point where he couldn't stand the thought of being what he was any longer and he stopped drinking altogether. He's gone through cyclic bouts with starving himself and finally giving in and going to Bram. It was during one of his starvation cycles that I met him." Quatre looked a little unwilling to continue but he knew he was in too deep now and that Duo would not let it drop any time soon. People who underestimated Duo, and there were many of them even he had been guilty of it when they had first, but the first they always underestimated was his blind determination. He was an extremely dedicated man when he found something to be dedicated too, like that old man who owned the bar where Duo worked. Duo had said he owed the man his life and had not explained further but he was very loyal to the man. Quatre could sense that if the old man's life were in any danger Duo would not think twice to put his own life on the line to save him. Duo raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"So what? He lost control and you were the accidental byproduct? Like me but without the weird-ass bonding mumbo-jumbo?" Quatre frowned, he was going to be stepping on Heero's toes when he was done with his story but it was the vampire's own damn fault for not opening up to the longhaired boy sooner.

"No Duo, before you Heero had never actually lost full control. He's come close, though, and he's more disturbed by that thought than he is by the thought of living forever." It was Duo's turn to frown.

"You know some people dream about forever."

"Then they have never had to look it head on. Heero has, and he had to do it alone for a long time. I think I would have lost my mind. But Heero's always been alone, he's always been…different and people and vampires alike avoid him. He wants to die, but there's something still in there. I'm not sure what, the last of his humanity maybe? A memory, a dream, a flicker of hope that this can't last forever? Something that drives him, that stops him every time he thinks he'll just let it take him over and stop caring. But he does care Duo, nobody seems to be able to figure that out about him, I think even he doesn't realize it half the time." Duo had seen it, he knew what Quatre was talking about. That look Heero got in his eyes sometimes, the one that pushed Duo to not give up on the vampire because there was a person in there that was more amazing than words could describe. He was sure of it, he didn't know why he was so damn positive that he knew the inside of Heero so well when it was obvious that the boy let nobody in, but he was. Besides, that little episode in the room proved that Duo had somehow appealed to Heero's more human side. Quatre had continued without Duo's prompting this time so Duo pushed his owned jumbled thoughts about Heero aside and focused on what Quatre was saying.

"I came from a family who did not accept who I was, what I was. My father was rich and he did not appreciate the only heir to his fortune not being molded into a perfect little package. He wanted me to be the perfect son, play sports, date girls, go to college for business and take over for him with lots of children of my own to ensure that the company stayed in the family. I did not like sports, I liked music. I did not like girls, I liked Trowa who also liked music." Trowa smiled fondly at this. "And well, I believe my attraction to Trowa pretty much ruled out fathering a bunch of grandchildren. So I soon found a place to escape where I was accepted and could have a good time just being myself. But I had to sneak out at night and return in the morning while it was still dark. The quickest way to my house without being detected was to go through the fields in the back. They were mostly empty but there was the occasional old barn or old country shack. Our house was on the out-skirts of town and I'm sure my father had demolished many pretty fields and old houses to get the acreage that he desired." There was a very dark look on Quatre's face and it frightened Duo just a little. The blonde had never really talked much about his family, Duo supposed the vampire had a good reason though. They were dead now and he was trying to forget a bad chapter in his life. Duo had many of those, yeah he could understand perfectly.

"It was on my way home, Trowa was younger than me at the time but had insisted on walking me home." Duo balked, Quatre had been the older one when they had met? It just seemed so odd, but he supposed that by the time Quatre found out about bonding and had finally worked up the courage to ask Trowa to do it, he could understand it taking a few years. And during that time Quatre would not have aged but Trowa would have. Hell it had probably taken a couple years for Quatre to just get up the nerve to tell Trowa that he was a vampire.

"I didn't let him of course, but I think he followed me for a while." Trowa smirked a little knowingly but then he frowned and his eyes looked a little dark, which for Trowa was pretty scary. Quatre looked at him warningly.

'It was not your fault, do not get that look again we've been over this. And how else would you get to spend four hundred years making out with me?' Duo eyed the couple suspiciously, he got the feeling that there was some sort of silent conversation going on based on Trowa's guilty expression and the twinkling in Quatre's aquamarine eyes.

"When I reached the field with the old barn I heard some noises. Gruff grunts and metal rattling, then silence, then it would repeat. I figured something kinky was going on and decided to stay clear, but it seemed fate did not think I should. When I turned around I was staring into a pair of glowing silver eyes. Next thing there was a young woman with more strength than anyone should have dragging me into the barn without even a flinch no matter how much I fought her. I don't think she expected anyone to be in that barn, but there was." Quatre took a breath and Duo realized who had been in there.

"It was the first time I had ever seen Heero, I don't have to tell you how intense it is the first time you see the guy." Duo nodded his agreement, the first time he had seen Heero he had nearly screamed. The guy's eyes were like a killer's, all cold steel and searing gazes. He was shrouded by something dark and heavy that you could just _feel_. It was just intense, Quatre had found the perfect word. There really wasn't any other way to describe the guy.

"And I was empathic, I was literally drowning in his suffering. Then the girl smiled at me and laughed at Heero before she leaned over and sank her teeth into my flesh. I had never felt so much pain. I felt myself dying, the life being forcefully ripped from my body. Heero…I could feel it…he wanted to save me so badly that it hurt too."

"Why couldn't he?"

"It was his most recent scheme to find a way to die. He knew that he couldn't control it once the curse took him over but he figured if his body wasn't able to move then it couldn't find victims. He had…he had chained himself to the barn wall with crude cuffs that dug into his flesh. Or perhaps he fashioned them that way himself to make it more difficult to escape. Blood dripped continuously from his wrists and legs. He just let his body sag in the chains though, not even caring that as he did so the cuffs kept cutting deeper.

"Now I had no idea that vampires existed, so the sight of Heero freaked me out so bad that I had no chance to even see the girl coming for me. Heero had obviously been there for a while, he was covered in dirt and blood was dried all down his arms and legs, his face was sunken in and pale, his eyes shone unnaturally. He looked like the living dead, little did I know…

"Well anyway when I finally thought that I was going to die from the pain, the girl let me go. She just dropped me to the barn floor, turned to sneer at Heero, then walked away. I thought the pain would go away now that she had stopped whatever it is that she was doing, but it only got worse. I heard a noise to my left that I now realize was Heero somehow breaking through those damned chains that I know he had handcrafted himself so that even if he lost control he wouldn't be able to break free. But he did, and he came to save me the only way he knew how. He forced me to drink from him, sealing my eternal fate.

"I asked him once, in a fit of unjustified anger very early after it had happened and the understanding of what I really was finally hit me, I asked him why he hadn't just killed me. Finished off what the girl had started and let me die." Trowa fidgeted a little uncomfortably but didn't speak.

"He…apologized and said that he had been weak because I had kind eyes. He didn't think I had deserved to die yet. I am grateful though, sometimes it's hard but I'm glad that I get to spend so long with Trowa and I'm glad that I met Heero. I don't think I would be the same person that I am today if I hadn't, and I don't just mean the vampire thing." Duo huffed but he didn't sound angry or disgusted, Quatre was hopeful that Duo would be Heero's Trowa. Someone to help through the really hard times, and there were some really bad times when you were apart of this curse. He was tired of Heero always being alone, Heero had saved him that day but Quatre had never been able to return the favor and it bothered him. And Heero was his friend and he was suffering, much more than he let on, and that hurt him too.

"Yeah, Heero does tend to have that affect on you." Duo wanted out, he wanted to go find Heero. He had just gotten insight into the vampire's past and it explained a few of the images he had seen, but there was so much more. The sight Quatre had painted of Heero, so frail and lonely and just waiting for death, it did a number on Duo's psyche. He still wasn't really ready to talk to the boy, not yet, but he desperately wanted to be near him just to convince his own mind that Heero was safe. So he did just that, he excused himself from Quatre's company and left despite the worried look on the blonde's face. Then he tried not to run too fast back to his own dorm and up the stairs to his room. He still burst through the door with a little more force than he had intended but Heero was nowhere to be found.

'Shit.' Duo thought as he searched the small study area for any signs of the vampire. Then he heard a small groan of the metal springs of the bottom bunk mattress. He whirled around, shocked that he hadn't noticed the vampire sleeping in _his_ bed. But Heero never slept, was he faking it? Why would he?

Duo took a step closer and studied the vampire's face hard, nothing, not a single flinch. Either Heero had finally found that he needed rest or the vampire was very good at faking. Duo was willing to bet quite a bit on the latter. But still, even though he knew Heero was awake and just feigning sleep, the vampire did look awfully attractive without his usual scowl etched so firmly on that youthful looking face. He looked very young indeed right then, his brow smooth instead of knitted with concentration, his lips parted and full instead of drawn in a thin tight frown. Duo could not stop his fingers as they reached out and gently brushed aside a long lock of deep chocolate hair, the silky strands sliding against his fingers, that handsome face twitching slightly at the unexpected contact. Heero was definitely faking.

Was the last thought that made it through Duo's mind before an unnaturally strong hand grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him down onto his own bed. He tumbled forward, his legs barely making it onto the mattress, his chin ricocheting off the vampire's clavicle with a resounding _crack_. He stared with dazed eyes at his strange new roommate and swore that he saw the briefest flash of silver blink in those deep blue eyes before the vampire frowned darkly at him.

"We need to talk." Duo almost laughed. Heero certainly had a way with handling delicate situations, the worst way possible.

"All this effort just to talk to me, you could have just said something." Heero frowned but looked slightly embarrassed and he eyed Duo's chin for a moment. 'Aww, he cares.' Was the sappy and irreverent thought uncontrollably passed through Duo's head.

"You were avoiding me." Well that was a bit of a surprise, Duo was fairly certain that it had been the other way around. In fact he had convinced himself that something Heero had seen about his past had made the boy wish to get as far away from him as he could.

"I thought you were avoiding me." Duo chuckled but it lacked humor. "You know for being able to read each other's minds we sure do have a lot of misunderstandings." Heero smirked just a little at this, not much but enough that Duo knew that everything was going to be all right between them.

"I thought you saw something about me that made you disgusted." Heero said quietly. Duo frowned.

"Well that's ridiculous, you've had a long hard life that's all." He paused, then shook his head slightly. "Guess I should take my own advice. I thought the same thing about you." Heero looked shocked that Duo would even suspect something like that, and it made the braided boy's heart flutter a little. He was glad that Heero didn't find his past nearly as condemning as Duo thought it was.

"I saw nothing but a young man overcoming the worst circumstances."

"I overcame nothing. I'm a murderer, lower than a prostitute, and a curse to all those around me." Heero's frown was so deep that he almost looked angry at Duo. What the hell? Heero had just said that his past didn't matter. Maybe he hadn't seen any of that stuff though. Duo sighed, way to stick his foot in his mouth, now he would have to explain everything.

"Heero I…"

"That man deserved to die, sometimes death is unavoidable." Heero looked so serious. To Duo it looked like if he rejected this statement in any way that it would somehow hurt Heero personally. Then he remembered what Quatre had told him about how Heero had to finish off nearly dead victims that the Dilluvia dude brought to him. Maybe his answer to this did have some kind of personal meaning to Heero after all.

"I don't regret killing that man. And I didn't kill the one in the bar. I don't what Howie did with him, but now that I know what Howard is I get the feeling that man wasn't human either." Heero looked confused, Duo could kick himself. Guess he hadn't seen that little episode of Duo's life.

"But I do regret letting those men…I never had…they just…" The frown lines in Heero's eyes softened and a hand reached out to barely ghost over Duo's cheek. Duo became suddenly aware that he was less than an inch away from Heero, and they were in bed, and the vampire had moved his grip from Duo's wrist to around his waist. The vampire's cold knuckles brushed softly down Duo's jaw. Heero once again got the strangest feeling that he could actually feel the warmth in Duo's skin, maybe it was just some distant memory of his mortal days, but nothing had ever made him remember warmth the way Duo did.

"I know Duo." The boy started as if he had forgotten that they were supposed to be having a conversation and the sudden sound of Heero's voice was surprising. But then a small frown found it's way to his soft pink lips. Heero let his eyes watch the boy's mouth from words before he bothered to listen to what the words actually were.

"You know what? That I've never…"

"It's in you blood." Heero cut him off. "Blood smells different when somebody's never been intimate. I could tell the first time I met you." Duo balked, his mouth imitating a fish for a moment before a gleam flashed through his violet eyes that made Heero a little nervous.

"So what? You walked into my bar, saw me and thought 'Mmm…smells like virgin'." Heero looked a little flustered, Duo was sure that if the boy could blush he would be doing so right now.

"Not exactly, it's not like I can control recognizing the difference in the sent." Duo sighed, he was never going to have another normal conversation for the rest of his life. What happened to talking about pizza being the ultimate in food creation, or the how much group projects sucked. No, his daily conversations consisted of virgin blood and masochistic tendencies. Speaking of which…

"Heero I may not have done anything like that with these men but I still let them do other things to my body. I had a lot of guilt and they knew all the ways to hurt me and make it feel a little better. Aren't you disgusted by that?" Duo was floored when Heero just smirked at him.

"You wanted punishment for surviving. For being alive because you thought that your presence cursed those around you and eventually everyone you knew would die and it would somehow be your fault. No I am not disgusted, in fact that sounds awfully familiar." Duo couldn't stop the barest of smiles that curled at the edges of his lips. He knew that he had felt connected to the boy from the first time they had met. He knew that there was a reason that he had wanted to help the vampire so much even though he had only known him for a short while. They seemed so different on the outside but he and Heero were exactly alike. There probably wasn't another soul on this planet that could ever understand him like Heero somehow did.

He felt himself being pulled closer to the vampire by that incredibly strong yet undeniably gentle hand around his waist. The other hand was making its way down Duo's jaw to tilt his face slightly upward as Heero leaned down and gently captured the boy's moist lips with his own. It was slow, agonizingly soft and Duo couldn't believe how much he enjoyed it. Heero's mouth barely pressed against his and he gently sucked on his bottom lip. A pointy tooth just barely grazed over the soft flesh. A shiver passed down Duo's spine and he was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the temperature in the room and everything to do with the knowledge of the deadly strength contained within the hands that were now caressing him tenderly. He let one hand trail up Heero's arm and wrap firmly around the boy's shoulders, loving the feel of tight chorded muscle wrapped in loose cotton. He felt the muscles under the shirt flex and found himself being pulled flush against Heero's body. The kiss deepened infinitely with Heero's tongue slipping out and brushing against Duo's lip as a warning before it plunged into his mouth to war with Duo's. Duo did his best to explore Heero's mouth too. Eventually he brushed against the tip of a very sharp tooth and Heero gasped before pulling back and breaking the kiss.

His glowing eyes were lidded as he stared searchingly at Duo, a small smile permanently in place on that usually scowling handsome face. Duo couldn't help but think that Heero had to be one of the most gorgeous people on the planet and he was amazed that a boy with so much beauty and wisdom that had come with living as long as Heero had, was looking at him like he was the only person in the universe that mattered. This time Duo leaned forward pressed firm pliant lips against surprisingly soft one's in a heartbreakingly gentle kiss that lasted for a small eternity. One rebellious hand reached up and brushed dark strands of silky hair out of that beautiful pale face. Heero breathed out a sigh and hugged Duo's body against his own while leaning down slightly to place a gentle kiss on the boy's brow. He felt so guilty for feeling the way he did about Duo, he felt like he was betraying the boy that he had promised his mortal heart to. He couldn't stop himself though, Duo was everything he had ever needed, and he felt himself falling for the braided bartender deeper than he thought he ever could. He may have promised his mortal heart to another, but Duo had captured his immortal one and Heero never wanted him to let go. He never wanted to not be able to hold this boy in his arms. Heero was pretty sure that as long Duo was there with him, eternity wouldn't be too bad at all.

Duo snuggled closer to the vampire's body, reveling in Heero's unyielding embrace. It was strange, Quatre had said something about his touch being cold to Trowa. In fact Duo remembered that he had touched Heero before and it had felt like ice, but right now Heero's skin felt like warm living flesh. It was almost like he could remember the way Heero's skin felt when he had been human and real blood had flowed through the boy's veins and warmed his flesh, and now the memory of Heero's embrace was somehow keeping them both warm. Heero's chin rested on top of his head and Duo took a deep breath of Heero's sent, so exotic and masculine, then let it out as he pressed his cheek against Heero's cotton covered chest. Heero let one hand rake through the soft hair on Duo's head and buried his face in the smell of the boy's shampoo. He could have sworn that he almost remembered what it felt like to be tired, or maybe he was feeling Duo's exhaustion? Whatever it was it felt great. He seized onto the feeling and allowed himself to drift to sleep while still holding Duo tightly in his arms.

Duo couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so incredibly safe and he let himself sink into a deeper sleep than he had since he was very young and watched over by Solo's omnipresent gaze. He wasn't dreaming but he was aware that he was asleep, at least he didn't think he was dreaming. He was surrounded by darkness but it pooled around him like a blanket and was very comforting. It brushed against him and warm air blew softly against the back of his neck. He frowned, that was certainly odd. He turned around to see where the breeze was coming for and all he saw was darkness. But there was something different, it looked more solid. And the second he thought that, the shadows began molding together into shapes that grew and changed. Duo watched in awe as the shadows took form and before he knew it he was looking into the eyes of human boy. Who looked almost exactly like him.

Duo looked at the boy, noted the odd violet shade to his eyes, the long hair though it was much darker than Duo's. He stared at the strange clothes, the loose pants and white cotton shirt that seemed to just be wrapped around his body. He looked at the odd sandal's the boy wore and noticed the boy shift his weight. His eyes flashed back up to the boy's face, it really was a remarkable resemblance to his own. The small upturned nose, the angled chin, and that obnoxious smirk. Wait a second, smirk?

"Hello? Who are you?" Duo watched the boy with extreme curiosity but got no response except for that smirk widening into an all out smile.

"Wait, I saw your face in Heero's memories. But who are you?" Still there was no response and still the smile only grew larger. He was getting frustrated now, and the boy was really starting to creep him out. He watched as one of the boy's elegant hands reached forward and touched Duo on the forehead.

It was instantaneous, the world around him shifted out of darkness and he found himself staring at the form of a young but still obviously Heero. The boy looked very serious as he spoke to an older gentleman and gripped one of the two swords at his hip. A sour expression crossed his features as a young version of the strange boy that had just poked Duo in the head was pushed out from behind the older man. Heero extended his hand but the boy just looked at it then stuck his tongue out and ran off into what looked like some kind of garden.

The world around him shifted and Heero and that strange boy were now wandering through what looked like a marketplace. Duo wished he could peek into each of the stalls and see what the people were selling, but it seemed the strange version of himself was doing it for him, much to Heero's annoyance. And it seemed that Heero's uptight refusal to let the boy explore every nook and cranny was making the boy with the long dark hair very irritated. Duo wondered why the two where hanging around together if they so obviously didn't like each other.

The scene shifted again and the boys looked a little older. They were standing in a large ballroom. Heero stood in the back of the room and clutched at one of his hip swords, watching diligently as the strange version of Duo danced with many dignified young women. There were many odd looks cast from the crowd in the longhaired boy's direction and Heero seemed to glare at each and every one of them who dared. Duo could see why the boy was given strange looks though, everyone in the room was Japanese but the boy was quite obviously not despite the way he dressed. Duo watched with bittersweet jealousy as the strange version of himself forced the young Heero to dance with him.

The vision blurred and was replaced with one of terror and panic. There was obviously some kind of attack being made on the house where the other Duo lived. Heero was fighting with the grace of a well-trained soldier, though not quite as much as he had as a vampire, so Duo assumed that Heero was mortal in these visions. This had to be the strangest dream he had ever had. Duo watched from his unnoticed position in a dark garden as the strange version of himself came running around the corner and right into the middle of Heero's battle. There was one man left and to protect the longhaired boy Heero took a stab in the shoulder before he killed the man. Heero sank to his knees, blood streaming from his arm, and was soon enveloped by the arms of the other Duo. The real Duo would have given anything to go to Heero now, he knew it was just a dream but it was a horrible sight and he wanted to hold the boy desperately but he couldn't move. He despised this dark haired mockery of himself for being allowed to be so close to the boy he was slowly starting to care more about than he would like to admit.

The world shifted again and Duo could tell that Heero was now healing from his wound. The longhaired boy was at his side and they were talking. Heero looked so serious and he was staring at the boy so intensely. It was the same Duo caught Heero staring him every once in a while and made him nervous and happy at the same time. He hated this dream, he didn't want to be in it anymore. He would much rather dream about being late for a final or showing up to class naked. Any of the usual college nightmares would have been welcomed at this point.

Another shift meant another new heartbreaking scene. It was night and Heero was out in that garden practicing with one of his swords. It looked like he was still recovering and having a difficult time. Duo's other self came wandering out of the house and was surprised when Heero's sword turned on him. The Japanese boy lowered instantly looking very shameful. Duo watched in horror as a few words were exchanged then his other self took the sword out of Heero's trembling hand the leaned forward and pressed his lips against the short haired boy's. Duo was fuming at his subconscious. Why would he do this to himself? He did not want to watch other people kiss his Heero, even if they did look almost exactly like him. He wanted this dream to end, now.

It was almost immediate, he was once again surrounded by nothing but darkness and staring into the smirking face of his other self. This time he was not curious about the boy before him, he despised him.

"Who the hell are you? Why am I dreaming about you? Just leave Heero alone!" He yelled at the grinning boy but he couldn't understand why he was yelling at a dream but he couldn't contain his jealous anger. He had just kissed Heero, maybe this dream was his subconscious' strange link between the visions he had seen of Heero's past and the kiss he had shared with the enigmatic vampire. Either way he still couldn't help but feel hurt by the kiss this mockery had stolen.

"Answer me, damn you. Why won't you say anything?" The boy's eyes shined with amusement and his mouth quirked into an even wider smile.

"What do you call yourself now?" The voice that spoke sounded like Duo's but the braided was positive that he had not asked the question. And he was pretty sure that it had been in another language but he had understood it.

"What?" He asked the air and he looked back at the boy in front of him, that smiling face mocking him before the mouth opened and the familiar voice came again.

"Your name? What do you call yourself?" Duo looked puzzled, this dream didn't make any sense.

"Duo, I call myself Duo. What's your name?" The boy just smiled then vanished and Duo woke up. He was disoriented for a moment in the darkness and surprised to find his face pressed into something very solid. It took him a moment to remember that Heero was in his bed. He couldn't understand the sense of relief that flooded over him at that thought, that Heero was here with him, had kissed him, was holding him, and that the boy had just been a dream. Despite himself Duo's grip on the vampire tightened and he stared at the boy's beautiful face relaxed in true sleep for the first time since Duo had met him. Heero really was beautiful in a very strong and masculine way. It was hard to explain but he was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. Duo buried his head into Heero's shoulder, breathing him in and smiling when he felt the sleeping vampire's arms tighten around him.

"Tell me about Heero." Trowa sighed, Duo had burst into his and Quatre's room this morning demanding to know all about Heero and why he got a distinct guilt vibe from the boy whenever anything good happened. Trowa had refused to let Quatre ask Duo exactly what these 'good' things were. But perhaps that had been a mistake on his part because soon after that his loving boyfriend had suggested they go speak to Wufei, the only man who knew anything about Heero's mortal life. And naturally since Quatre was still taking it easy, he had been suggested as Duo's guide to the Chargrin headquarters. The secret underground office where Wufei and the rest of the vampire patrol worked. And now Duo was interrogating the poor Chinese man in his office, in the exact same way that he had burst uncontrollably to Quatre. Trowa was almost curious as to what had happened between the two that caused Duo's sudden insatiable curiosity about the ancient vampire, but common sense told him that if he asked he would he would most likely get an answer. And Trowa really didn't want to listen to Duo's lengthy and emotionally charged response. Really, just watching the longhaired boy made the stoic nag'nul feel tired and slightly nauseated. He had way too much energy to be natural.

"Why don't you ask him?" Wufei responded tersely as he shut the door to his office. The Chargrin HQ was set up underneath an abandoned cannery on the outskirts of the city near the river. It looked like a warehouse for ridiculous gadgets and was packed with offices in a giant maze. Duo looked embarrassed and shuffled a little before finding interest in all the deadly looking gizmos that hung from Wufei's ceiling and decorated his walls. There was a gun rack in the corner that held the large barreled gun Wufei had shown him the first time they met. Duo picked up a small sliver flashlight and examined it. Wufei eyed him warily and Duo slowly put the contraption back down.

"I can't, it's embarrassing." Trowa sighed from just inside the doorway. Wufei eyed them both with suspicion and annoyance, then with a defeated shrug he collapsed into the chair behind his metal desk. He ran a pale hand over his sleek raven hair and shook his head just slightly with amusement.

"So what do you want to know? Heero's going to kill me for this." He grumbled, his dark eyes following Duo as the boy tried his best to resist the urge to pick up another object. A sharp glare from Wufei made him shove his hands in his pockets. Trowa watched all this mild amusement but decided that despite being slightly curious, this was probably too personal of a conversation for his ears.

"Duo, I will see you in a while. I have a few things I must take care of." Duo eyed him for a moment, sensing that there was something more to Trowa's eagerness to leave the room. Then again, Trowa was probably just trying to protect Heero's privacy by not listening in. It made Duo feel a little guilty for going behind the vampire's back, but he was too embarrassed to ask Heero and he wanted to know why it felt like the boy was holding himself back when they were together. He was sure it had something to do with the vampire's past.

"Okay, you better come pick me up though. I don't know how to get back." Trowa nodded the slid out Wufei's office door. Duo felt a little self-conscious being left alone with a man he had only met once, but he needed some answers. He turned back to Wufei with a nervous smile. The dark haired man nodded to the seat in front of his desk and Duo took it. He glanced around Wufei's desktop and noticed the stacks of paper with pictures of men and women that almost looked wanted posters. Duo was once again reminded of a cowboy from the old west. Then he noticed the lack of anything personal in the man's office except for one lonely picture frame containing the photo of a beautiful young woman. The girl was scowling adorably at the camera and amusement shone in her dark eyes. Her black hair floated around her face in the wind. Wufei made a noise in the back of his throat and Duo looked away from the picture quickly.

"I can't promise I'll know the answers you seek. Heero was very sparse when he spoke of his life." Duo looked at Wufei, suddenly overcome with curiosity and a little jealousy.

"Why did Heero tell you about his life? He doesn't seem to like sharing." Duo said a little quietly and he hoped that it hadn't sounded as whiny as he thought it had, though judging from the amused gleam in Wufei's dark eyes, he would have to say that probably did.

"Heero is, as you know, somewhat feared by most of his kind. And there are quite a few vamps that outright hate him because of who he is. They think that he is trying to rule them and they despise how much stronger he is. They know that if he decided he wanted to he could easily overpower them all with his strength alone could." Duo always had a hard time placing the super-vampire version of Heero with the Heero that he knew. The one that had been so gentle just the last night. He flushed at the sudden memory of being in bed with the vampire.

"That's not fair, they don't even know him. He would never try to rule them. He doesn't like being what he is." The small smile that passed over Wufei's face was missed by Duo and Wufei was glad of it. In public he made a show of despising the vampire, but he could not help but respect the man. Yes they acted like the hated each other, hell he almost hated Heero quite often, but he knew it was mostly his hurt pride and he never could get rid of that damned thread of respect.

"It is not fair, but that doesn't seem to matter in this world." Wufei suddenly sounded so far away that Duo had to wonder if he was still talking about Heero.

"It's because of their fear of him that they often attack him for no reason. It was a particularly large group that had gotten him alone in an alley on the night I met him." Wufei's eyes gleamed at the memory and Duo had to wonder if Wufei really liked fighting or maybe it was the challenge of taking on so many.

"I'm sure you are aware of Heero's suicidal tendencies, so despite the fact that he could have easily escaped he let them beat him and put up only enough fight to make them think he was trying. Of course I didn't know that at the time and it just looked like an unfair fight and that ticked me off. And I still had an unquenchable thirst for revenge on all vampires so naturally I stepped in. For some reason, with another life on the line besides his, Heero decided to start actually fighting. For a minute I could nothing but stand there in awe as he attacked one after another. I realized very quickly that I would never be able to defeat this man in battle. Too be frank, I hated him for that." Duo looked a little surprised at how calm Wufei was about openly hating Heero. If people were so afraid of him and Wufei had seen his real strength, why wasn't Wufei more afraid of him? Then again, Wufei didn't seem to be afraid of anything at all, in fact based on his story he was pretty sure that Wufei could use a little fear. He was almost as suicidal as Heero though in a totally different way. Heero wanted to die, Wufei just seemed to think that there wasn't anything that _could_ kill him.

"We beat them quickly enough, it was a very disappointing battle. I wanted to try my hand against such a worthy opponent, but Heero refused. I hated him more for that. Then he asked me why I was trying to get myself killed. Until that moment I hadn't realized that I had been, but he was right. I told him that I wanted to kill every last one of his kind and the bastard had the nerve to smile at me. He told me to promise him that when I found a way to kill them all that he would be one of my victims. I told him that when I thought I was strong enough to kill him that I would seek him out." A rueful grin played across the cowboy's lips.

"Then he asked why I hated vamps, and I suppose I felt obligated to explain since he was obviously stronger than me, knew I would try to kill him someday, and yet he hadn't killed me. So I explained to him that it was a vampire that took my wife." Duo's face was pure horror and his breathing the only thing audible in the silent office. His violet eyes flashed once again to the picture frame, but Wufei ignored it.

"In turn, and I'm sure he felt obligated to, he told me that he had lost the one he loved to the vampire's curse as well, though not in the same way." Duo's heart sank, Heero had been in love. Was that why he was reluctant with Duo? Was he still in love with this person?

"Heero was born a long time ago to a farmer in Japan. At a very young age he witnessed his home being burnt to the ground by the hands of local thieves. Their crops and only source of income burnt with all their belongings and they had no way to survive. His father stayed with the farm and did everything he could to rebuild what they once had. His mother did her best to care for his newborn sister. He was the only son and felt it was his duty to go earn a living to provide for his family. Like I said, I can't help but respect the man he couldn't have been older than seven at the time. He took few provisions and left home to find some kind of work. He was traveling in the woods when he killed a master samurai after mistaking him for a thief. The man was of course impressed, and instantly took a liking to Heero. He offered the boy training to be a samurai." Duo frowned, this explained a couple of the images he had seen but it was strange to listen to Heero's life before he was a vampire. It had been so long ago, although Heero seemed to be very much the same person, it still made Duo feel weird to listen to the tale. He could almost picture the Japan of this time in his head and the images were so clear.

"This was in the time before the samurai were a military force." Wufei continued. "They were soldiers for hire, often they were wealthy land owners hired for police work or body guarding. Heero accepted the idea as the best solution, he didn't think he could find better paying work at his age. He also realized that this training would teach him how to protect his family in the future against the local thieves. So at the age of eight Heero was the youngest boy not from a samurai family to be trained by another samurai." Duo was shocked to say the least, he had expected Heero to have a mysterious past but this was crazy. It was extremely sad and that gave him a little insight into why the boy acted the way he did. But why was the vampire so reluctant to talk about it?

"Duo, many things happened to Heero while he was training and by the time he was old enough to be called a man, his eyes were cold and his heart forgotten." Duo swallowed and Wufei looked at him very seriously.

"I thought you said Heero didn't go into detail about his life, this seems pretty detailed." Wufei's brow furrowed.

"He guards very well what happened during his training that made him that way. His life did not get any better and Heero became known for that cold edge he still has today." Duo frowned thoughtfully, maybe he would never have all the answers to Heero, but at least he was starting to understand the man behind the vampire.

"His newborn sister, whom Heero loved more than anyone in the world save perhaps his mother, did not make it through the first winter of Heero's training. Samurai were paid very little while they trained but Heero did his best to provide for his family. He ate very little and only bought new things to wear when the old ones practically disintegrated, even in the cold of winter he bought no extra clothing. Everything he saved he gave to his family." So Heero had been this dedicated since he was a child. No, Heero had never been a child. The decisions he had been forced to make at such a young age had robbed him of any youth he may have had.

"When he was eleven he was already hiring himself out, but he was not finding much work. His mother had been slowly degrading since the death of his sister and his father was getting old. Their house had taken a few years to rebuild and it had wiped his father clean of all his energy. During the winter when Heero turned eleven his house was ransacked by thieves again and his parents had been too weak to fight back or escape. They were nearly killed this time and Heero blamed himself. Because of his age people did not think he could handle the job and they did not want to hire him for anything more than small tasks that he didn't get paid very well for. He told himself that because of this and because he had not been there to protect them, his family had almost died." Duo wanted to march right back to his room and yell at Heero for blaming himself for such a horrible thing. Heero had given up his life to save his parents, he had done a lot more than a normal child could handle and he had done it by his own choice. Wufei looked at him for moment as if he understood what was going through Duo's head. The Chinese boy sighed, that was the way Heero had always been, too full of honor and it was what made him not want to kill the vampire.

"There was one group that hired him, and it was only every once in a while but paid him a great deal of money. It was a group of trained assassins that were hired by men of wealth, and usually high political status, to kill their enemies. Heero had killed his first man by the time he turned twelve and in less than a year he had killed about thirty. His small size and young age gave him the advantage of surprise in this business and he excelled at it. But it hardened him, after a few years of this life he could not stand it any longer. He felt guilty because for once his family was doing well, they were eating healthy and the house was mended and they had new livestock, but he couldn't take it anymore. When he was fifteen he quit, if the assassins hadn't learned to be frightened of the little boy who didn't fear death they might have pursued him, but Heero was scary. He could kill better than anyone, his face was cold and deadly, his eyes promised swift and merciless death. There was another benefit to his frightening countenance, men who could pay well were more than willing to hire him now for protection."

"He was still fifteen when he received a somewhat unusual request. He was asked by a man of great power to guard over a person instead of piece of land, his only son to be exact. As his only son the boy would inherit all the man's fortune when he died and that gained the boy many enemies. Ad to that the fact that the boy was not actually the man's son but a European looking orphan found at the man's gate and it was no wonder that there had been attempts on the boy's life. It paid almost as much as his assassin missions so Heero accepted the offer. They didn't exactly hit it off when they first met. The boy hated the fact that his father thought he couldn't take care of himself even though he had thwarted all previous attempts on his life, and he took out his frustration on Heero. Heero just had a lot of issues, and this was the first person his own age that he had ever spoken to so he didn't exactly know how to react to the kid. Much like he doesn't understand how to respond to you Duo." Duo frowned, he didn't like being compared to this boy that he despised for stealing Heero. It wasn't fair, Heero's heart belonged to another and had for nearly a thousand years.

"The boy was intelligent but also indulged in his youth and forced Heero to do so as well. Before Heero knew what was happening he was in love with his charge. The night that they finally admitted that they loved each other Heero got the news that his mother was not going to last much longer. He had to leave the boy he loved to help his father and care for his mother in her final moments. While there he met the man that had first trained him and he offered Heero a job while he was in town to join him and help train the small group that he had gathered. Heero agreed so that he could stay home and still earn money to afford whatever medicines he could get for his mother. There he met an incredibly strong man that told him if they trained together that Heero would become that strong as well. Heero still blamed himself for all the things that had gone wrong in his life and he desperately accepted the offer, vowing that he would become strong enough to always protect the boy he loved. That man was…"

"Dilluvia." Duo sighed, his heart had been breaking with every word. Heero would never love him like he loved this boy from the past. "I've heard that part of the story. Dilluvia lured him in and turned him into the first vampire."

"Yes, but think about all that it implies. Heero was now immortal, he had to watch as his mother, father, and everyone he knew grew old and died. He was never able to speak to them again, he had to watch from afar as he crushed the heart of the man he loved by never returning. He was assumed dead after a few months and he eventually left the country with Dilluvia. He could not risk being recognized and he couldn't stand to watch his love sink into what we would call today deep clinical depression. I think the boy eventually killed himself, Heero returned to Japan once when the boy would have been around thirty. He had to risk it, it had been eating him alive he just had to see the boy one last time and find a way to say goodbye without being seen. But the boy wasn't there, the old man that had adopted him still lived in the house but he had become a drunk and the boy was nowhere to be found." Duo was torn between running out right then to find Heero and never wanting to face the vampire again. He didn't know how he could after he had snuck behind the vampire's back and found all this out about him.

"I still say that was a pretty detailed description of his past. I can't imagine Heero saying all that to you on the night you met." Wufei stared at him for a minute with a strange look in his eyes. The Chinese man was impressed, he didn't think that Duo would know Heero so well already. He supposed he should come clean then and not risk starting a fight between the two.

"Well he didn't exactly tell me all that, in fact he told me very little it probably took him about five sentences to say his whole life story." Wufei smirked and Duo could just stare at him for a while.

"Then how…" Wufei's smirk grew and he beckoned the boy over. Duo got up from his chair and walked around the edge of the desk to lean on the side facing Wufei. The hunter smiled and held up two of the charms around his neck.

"Before she died my wife was a Wicca healer. She knew many things of magic and natural medicine. These are stones that she created and infused with certain powers. The red one protects my thoughts from anything listening in, the yellow one gives me access to the thoughts of others when I chose to activate it. Normally this doesn't work on Heero, his will is just too strong, but the memories were so powerful that he couldn't hide them from the magic. So I just took a peak." Duo gawked at him, shit this guy really wasn't afraid of anything. He wondered if Heero knew that Wufei had 'peaked' into his head. He can't imagine that Wufei would still be alive if Heero knew that one. Then suddenly something hit him, these two were very similar and he couldn't stop himself from blurting out the conclusion he had come to.

"You and Heero have that in common don't you, that's why you respect him so much, you both blame yourselves for deaths of your loved ones." Wufei looked shocked for a second but recovered as quickly as Heero would have. His black eyes drifted to the only picture on his desk and he was silent for a long time.

"Yes, but I think both of us are learning to overcome that guilt and see that it was not our fault. I still seek vengeance for her death but I have learned to forgive myself with help from Heero a few people that I've met here who are in it for the same reason. Like Treize, he lost his daughter to the same curse he has lived with for almost as long as Heero. She's still alive but she will never be the same, it takes a lot out of kid to have to learn to survive on blood, to not be able to play with other children because she got an uncontrollable urge once and bit a kid and killed him She looks like she's nine but she's lived for a long time and she certainly hasn't been a child for many years. He blamed himself too, like we all did, it's been harder for him to overcome the guilt. I think it's harder because he has to face her everyday." This was almost too much for Duo to handle. What would he say the next time he saw Heero?

"I think Heero has only just recently discovered a reason to overcome his guilt, it's still there a little but it isn't anywhere near as strong as it used to be." Wufei's smirk was back and Duo had to wonder what he was getting at.

"What do you mean?"

"It's almost nonexistent, the guilt that had been eating away at him through all the years he's been alive. And you, Duo Maxwell, are the reason that he is overcoming it. You have given him reason to look forward to life, even if he hasn't realized it yet that he does. And he may not be aware of this either, because it takes a while for Heero to figure these things out, but he loves you. He loves you more than he ever thought he could love again, he loves you more than he knew it was possible to love another person. All he has to do is realize it."

Heero had awoken that morning to an empty bed and he was surprised by how much he longed for just the simple contact he had with Duo. He was even more surprised by how cold he felt, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt cold or the last time he had missed being warm. He couldn't explain the sudden emptiness in his chest that he felt when he woke up alone instead in Duo's embrace where he had expected to be. So many feelings that he had forgotten and some that he was pretty sure he had never felt before, what was Duo doing to him. Why he was so addicted to the boy, not just his blood but his mere presence? He wanted to be near Duo, to learn about him, to feel his warmth, to breath him in, to wake up in his arms every morning for the rest of this accursed thing called eternity. Though he had to admit eternity with Duo did not seem like such a cursed fate after all.

He pulled his ancient body out of the stiff bed and dragged himself into a lukewarm shower. He wondered where Duo had wondered off to, he was pretty sure that Duo didn't have to go to any classes today since it was the weekend so he didn't know where the boy would have gone. He dressed quickly and thought about going to find Quatre and Trowa but for some reason he just wanted to be alone today. He needed time to gather his thoughts, a lot had happened in the past two days and he still hadn't sorted out what it all meant. He decided that he would go for a walk and think, and maybe he would find some sort of answer to all the questions running through his mind. He brushed his teeth with a slight grin. Toothbrushes, such a wonderful invention and he was so glad they weren't made from hair anymore. Plastics were so amazing and people definitely took them for granted. He ran his fingers through his hair and was out the door a few minutes later.

He stared at the bright sky for a moment, feeling nothing, and missing the almost warm feeling he had felt with Duo curled up next to him. The people around him took no notice of the handsome undead boy as he walked across the wet university lawn. Before long he found himself at the base of a familiar tree. This had been where they had spent that first day with Duo after the disastrous night that they had met. It had only been one night and he had already started craving the boy, and he had lost control with him too. He hadn't been able to pull away when Duo had responded to the little fantasy he had sent him. And when the boy had started making delicious sounds he knew he had been lost. Hell he had been lost ever since he just hadn't realized it. Duo, that boy had crawled under his skin and tore apart all the control that Heero had carefully constructed around himself in only a day. How is it that he hadn't seen it?

He sat down in the grass and felt the freshly sprinkled lawn soaking through his pants but it didn't bother him, he couldn't really feel it that well anyway. He was sure it was supposed to feel cold but it didn't. He was sure the breeze was supposed to be a warm one but he barely felt it blowing. The shadows on the grass changed and with the gentle afternoon wind and his thoughts shifted with him. Though their focus didn't shift by much. He thought about the boy that was Duo Maxwell, a boy who had risen above a past that would have driven lesser men to their ends. He thought about the unexpected strength and determination that it would take to carry on smiling after having experienced so much tragedy. His first thought after seeing the boy's past was that the smiling visage was just a mask hiding the pain inside the young man, but he was wrong. Duo was just that strong. He had faced his demons in his own ways and he was concurring them everyday and he was helping Heero concur his own. How could somebody be so strong?

But Duo was strong and kind and smart and he had stolen Heero's heart. Or had the vampire given it willingly without even realizing it? Heero snorted at himself and shook his chocolate bangs out of his eyes. Yes, he had definitely let his defenses down and welcomed the boy into his heart before he even knew it. Duo had never feared him and instead had challenged him in more many ways than he thought he would ever realize. He had also shown him kindness that he had not experienced in so many years. Duo was special, he was incredible and beautiful and dear God he was turning into the mushiest vampire that ever existed. He had it bad, how had this happened? He couldn't do this, could he? Fall in love again. Was it possible? There was a time when he would have sworn on his immortal life that his heart was as dead as everyone in his past had thought it was. But Duo never believed for a second that he was as cold hearted as he seemed and he wouldn't let Heero believe it either, even if the vampire wanted to because it made everything so much simpler. He certainly wouldn't have been sitting under a tree sorting out his feelings for a beautiful braided boy if he just let himself belief that his heart was as dead as he was.

He watched the world around him with a sudden calm that comes with the realization that your life was about to take a huge turn and you were totally fine with that. It was strange, he should have felt guilty like he was betraying his past. He should have felt more in turmoil over such a life changing realization but he was tired of it. What the hell, he loved Duo Maxwell. People walked by him, still paying him no mind as they talked and laughed and complained about tests. He watched couples lean into each other and touch each other in gentle reassuring ways. He smiled at the thought of reaching out and softly embracing the braided boy and he smiled wider when he thought of Duo hugging him back. It felt so natural, like that was how it was supposed to be between the two of them. He wondered where Duo had gone off to, damn he had really wanted to wake up with the boy.

He sighed, closing his eyes and letting his head drift back to rest against the trunk of the large Oak. He took a few breaths then, just to test it out as he did every so often, he stopped breathing completely. After a minute of nothing happening except the slightly uncomfortable feeling of breaking a habit that was ingrained in his auto-nervous system, he took a breath again and let it out in a long sigh and derisive chuckle.

"Yep still dead."

"Undead. There's no way in hell I would've kissed a dead guy. Necrophilia isn't exactly on the top of my list." A smooth baritone whispered in his left ear and Heero smiled. The braided boy must really be getting to him if he hadn't even sensed him approaching.

"Duo…" The vampire stood and faced that man that had been plaguing his thoughts. His pale hand reached out to cup the boy's soft cheek and was rewarded with those blue-violet eyes staring up at him with surprise swirling in them. His own steel-blue eyes softened fondly as he stared into those endless eyes. Eyes that felt as ancient as his own but so full of life and curiosity.

"Heero?" Duo asked him hesitantly but there was a small thoughtful smile playing on his soft pink lips. Heero had no idea how he was going to tell the boy what he had been thinking about. How did one admit that he loved someone with all his undead heart? How do you tell someone you wanted to them with every reluctant beat of that ancient organ and every unnecessary breath you took? How did ask someone to spend the rest of eternity with you, until the world stopped turning or the sun crashed into it. He had nothing to offer this boy except a long and lonely life surrounded by death and the undead. But still he wanted Duo to be with him, and he was pretty sure that Duo wanted to be there with him too. They couldn't really turn back now anyway, at least he knew there was no way he could. There was definitely no way that he would ever be able to find the words to tell Duo everything that he wanted to say. Maybe if he were a more eloquent person but he certainly had never had the gift for gab unlike the beautiful boy that was leaning into his touch. Well, he was a man of action anyway.

Heero leaned forward and pressed his lips against Duo's, pouring into the kiss everything he wanted the boy to understand. He wanted to show Duo that there was no guilt this time. That he had thought about it and knew what he was doing. This was no rash act of uncontrollable passion, this was a well thought out act of uncontrollable passion. He wanted Duo to know that he meant this, that he wanted this and that he would never again regret the night he bit the boy. It may have been selfish to want Duo to be by his side for the rest of eternity but he was done with guilt and battling with himself. He was done denying his feelings. He pressed himself closer to Duo as the braided boy began to respond passionately to the heated kiss. Fire spread from his lips and wrapped its heat around his undead heart, warming it with the tingling sensation like that of a sleeping limb finally waking up. The boy tasted as sweet as he had last night and smelled as wonderfully too. He wondered briefly why it was that Duo was the only thing that got past the veil that surrounded his world. With Duo he almost felt human again.

He pulled away slowly from the amazing boy that had found his heart that he hadn't realized he had cared was missing. Those incredible soulful eyes stared searchingly into his for an eternity. He wondered what it was that the boy was searching for. He didn't have to wait long before those eyes were shining brilliantly at him and a warm smile was growing on those beautiful lips. He didn't know what it was that Duo saw when he stared at him like that, but he was glad that the boy had found whatever he had been searching for and he was glad it made him smile like that. Then a pair of surprisingly strong arms engulfed him and his face was pressed into a soft mass of sweetly smelling chestnut hair. Duo pulled back but only just enough to stare once again into the vampire's eyes.

"I love you too, you crazy dead guy." Duo chuckled and Heero smirked.

"Undead."

* * *

Yep that was it, sucked eh? Stupid sap, I knew it would find its way into the story somehow. The end approaches and the plot becomes obvious, yay for crappy writing. I'll try not to make the next chapter take anywhere near as long and I will definitely finish this story, I can promise that at least. Anyway, I'm going to watch more Naruto, see what all the hype is about. Got to admit Sasuke's pretty cute, but I love the asses. Makes sense that Heero is my first love. Well see ya'll next chapter, hopefully that will be a lot sooner than these last few chapters. Commense the throwing of rotten or pointy things...hold on let me get a tarp...ok now.  



	10. Hot Blooded

Alright I know this took forever again and I'm sorry...again. It took me a long time to write cuz I'm just not very good at writing lemon stuff, so yeah that and I wasn't sure how to post this and avoid getting a big red flag. Oh well, I mean I oculd redirect everybody to my website and stuff but that's a big hassle for you guys and the people who don't go would miss a key chapter. Plus I really don't want people looking at the peice of crap that is my website. Anyway, despite the fact that it will probably get me kicked off of here is the chapter. I really don't know what else to do, it's not smut for the sake of smut, it's actually an integral part of the story.

Anyway, smut coming at you so if you're under seventeen then stop reading now.

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The Cursed No More

Hot Blooded

"So Trowa, how did your little field trip go?" The blonde asked from his position in front of his computer. He had decided to get a little homework done while he waited for his boyfriend to return from helping Duo with his investigation. He would have gone himself but he didn't think he could trust himself to not listen in on Heero's past. He didn't have anywhere near the self-control Trowa did. And truth be told, he was afraid of what he might learn about his vampire friend and he didn't think his empathic heart could take it. He was still recovering after all, though he was certain that his mind would never fully recover from what had happened to him.

"Wufei didn't try to kill him…or hit on him. So, I suppose that means it went exceptionally well." Trowa kissed the blonde's forehead before heading over to his bed to lie down. Honestly a day with the braided boy was a little tiring, he wasn't sure how Heero seemed to handle living with the kid so well. Of course when you love someone…

"Trowa, do you think those two will be alright?" Trowa had to chuckle, Quatre had the cutest way of wheedling information out of him. He had caught on a couple centuries ago what the blonde was really up to when he asked Trowa things like that but it was still fun to indulge sometimes. But it was a hell of a lot more fun to use as a way to mess with his conniving boyfriend's mind.

"I don't know Quatre, Duo seemed pretty distraught when I picked him up." Actually, Duo had seemed lost in thought but not necessarily bad thoughts. And he had wanted to go straight to Heero and if Duo were really upset he would have wanted to be alone. Quatre had told him that once, you always knew when Duo was mad because he was quiet and wanted to be alone. Trowa tilted his head so he could get a look at his boyfriends face…bad idea. Quatre looked horrified and he felt extremely guilty.

"Quatre what's wrong? I was kidding." Trowa jumped off the bed and ran over to the shuttering blonde who had buried his face in his hands. He wrapped his arms around the frail vampire. He never understood that, all the strength of the undead and yet the blonde still seemed almost _fragile_…until you pissed him off. Then look out! And that was when he noticed that the long was smiling, and he wasn't shuddering with sorrow but with barely controlled laughter.

"Gotcha! Now spill what you know." The blonde smirked evilly at the taller boy who just shook his head. He really needed to stop underestimating his boyfriend. Honestly, after being together for four hundred years you would think he would have seen that one coming.

"You're too much sometimes, you know that?" Trowa said and chuckled at himself as he headed back towards his bed. He took seat and was soon joined by his blonde partner.

"That's why you love me." Quatre declared before he tackled his boyfriend with surprising strength. "Now tell me what's happening with our two oblivious friends."

"Not too much to tell, really." Trowa wrapped one arm around the blonde's waist since the boy was now lying on top of him. Four hundred years and it never ceased to amaze him how good it felt to have the boy in his arms. He had led a very lonely life before he met Quatre.

"You just say that because you don't like talking." The tall boy allowed for just the corners of his lips to quirk up. That statement was true enough in the days before he had met the smiling blonde. Over the centuries in the boy's company he simply could not stay that way. He had barely spoken a word to anyone as a child, most likely a byproduct of being abandoned then raised by French mercenaries. That was where he met Quatre. The Winners were one in a small handful of wealthy families that monopolized the mining industry in England. They had a French estate where they spent every summer and it was during one of these summers that the two boys met. And boy did they hit it off.

"I listened in on the tail end of Duo and Wufei's conversation. I really think everything's going to be fine." Quatre smiled and nodded like he had been waiting for that answer but a little tension seeped out of the blonde's shoulders, which told Trowa that he was very worried about his friends. Quatre had always had a big heart. That may have been what drew Trowa to him in the first place. He had met the blonde in the French countryside and they had talked about life and their pasts. Quatre came from a very strict home and Trowa had no home at all. Quatre's caring was new to him and though at first it was difficult to allow himself to enjoy the boy's warmth he soon found he not only missed it but craved it when Quatre was gone.

"You listened in! I think I've been a bad influence on you. You're practically a gossiper." Quatre laughed and it warmed the taller boy's heart to hear the sound. He would gladly live to see the day the world ended if he got to listen to that laugh every day until then.

"I think that's blasphemy. I would never gossip." He smirked down at the blonde lying on his chest. "Now will you please be quiet so I can tell you everything I overheard." Trowa's smirk grew and Quatre was lost to a fit of uncontrollable laughter. God he loved the blonde like nothing else on earth.

"Did you hear something?" Duo paused and Heero stopped too. They were heading back to their room since it was starting to get dark and rather uncomfortable sitting under that oak tree.

"I don't hear anything." Heero responded as he pulled his keys out of his pocket to unlock their door.

"It sounded like someone laughing."

"Well we are in a dorm, that's not that unusual." Apparently Heero's earlier indulgence in expressing himself was over and he was back to monotone.

"Yeah but it sounded like…oh never mind." He followed the vampire into their room and reached to turn on the lights only to have his wrist gripped firmly by an unnaturally strong hand.

"Uh, hey there Heero." Duo's uncertain voice echoed in the now dark room and he stared at the captor of his wrist. The smirk on the vampire's face made him both nervous and excited. He wondered what was going on in that ancient mind.

He didn't have to wonder long for he quickly found himself pressed against the wall next to the light switch with a pair of silvery-blue eyes locked onto his. The hand gripping his wrist now pushed his arm against the wall as well and dragged it above his head. Soon there was a strong hand wrapped around his other hand, which was then pulled above him as well and pinned to the wall. He was trapped and he struggled a bit though he knew he had no chance against the unnatural strength in the hands that held him. Not that he really wanted to escape.

Duo stared hard into those glowing blue eyes that were filled with…something. Lust? Desire? Need? Yes, but above them all was love. Those eyes looked at him like he was an object of worship and God help him he was drowning in Heero's devotion. There was a growl then something shifted and Duo felt a warm body press against his. Hot breath poured over his jaw and ghosted across his ear. He shuddered despite himself at the vampire's sudden forwardness.

"You're going to have to stop me now or I won't be able to later." Heero's usually nasally voice was now husky and drenched in lust. Duo tried to think a coherent thought but none came to him. There was a pause where all that could be heard was the sound of both boys' panting breaths then Heero's last ounce of self control snapped and he licked just under the braided boy's jaw. The sudden sharp gasp from Duo was all he needed to hear.

Duo's mind was still numb when the vampire slipped one hand behind his neck and another behind his knees then lifted him off the floor like he was lighter than air. Heero's unbelievable strength was still something of a shocker since the vampire very seldom chose to use it. Duo wondered just what exactly those powerful hands were capable of and he couldn't stop himself from shuddering again. He didn't realize until immediately after he had done it, but he had moaned at the thought as well. God he wished the vampire didn't have such sensitive hearing because the vampire had just stopped dead in his tracks and was now staring down at him.

"Duo…" That was all the warning he got before Heero let go of his legs and pressed him firmly into the edge of his desk. Then incredibly strong arms were wrapping themselves around his waist and Heero's body was sliding between his legs. He tried to stop the little mewling noises that were escaping his mouth but it was hard with the vampire placing feather light kisses on his cheeks and down to his earlobe. Duo had to grip the sides of Heero's shirts when the vampire slid his tongue behind his ear and started sucking on the lobe. He was then lifted effortlessly until he was sitting on his own desk with his legs spread open and a very predatory looking vampire wedged between them.

Those ancient hands started to push Duo's shirt over his head and it was then that the boy's senses snapped back in place. A feral grin spread on his lips that made Heero stop cold when he caught a glimpse of it. One delicate eyebrow arched on that pale brow but before Heero had a chance Duo locked his legs around the boy's waist and yanked the vampire against his body. They both suddenly gasped when they felt their lower bodies pressed flush together and it was evident that both boys' wanted this to happen.

Duo took control now and he had decided that the vampire was wearing far too many clothes for his tastes. Tanned hands ran over the vampire's pale muscled torso and the boy smirked when the ancient creature shivered at his simple touch. His hands slid up further until he had pulled the ancient boy's shirt completely over his head. He looked into eyes that no longer glowed silver but instead were darkened with lust. The dark haired boy smirked at him then grabbed his hands and pinned them to the desk. Duo squirmed, he had been enjoying touching the vamp and seeing what kind of noises he could the boy to make now he was trapped again.

Heero attacked his neck and started sucking and licking a trail along the braided boy's sinewy muscles. He paused at a spot just below the boy's jaw and sucked, hard. Duo threw his head back and moaned at how unexpectedly good that had felt since he had no idea his neck was so sensitive. There was a low, lust-filled chuckle right next to his ear and the sudden hot breath felt really good on his sensitive skin.

"I found _that_ particular spot out under the tree on that first day we talked after we were bonded." Heero stated smuggle and Duo blushed at the memory of waking up to Heero telling him he had just moaned in front of a horde of people. But now he understood why because that had felt damn good. He was about to say something, anything to save some of his dignity, but Heero didn't seem to be thinking along those same lines. The boy's assault continued twice as ardent as before if that were possible. He held the Duo's hands down firmly then leaned forward and crushed his lips against the longhaired boy's in a powerful kiss. Duo kissed back passionately sucking the vampire's lower lip into his mouth and nibbling on it. But before he could really get into it Heero pulled back and started yanking his off. Duo was glad to have his hands free so he could enjoy the half naked boy in front of him but it didn't last long. Heero pulled the shirt over the boy's head and down his arms until it was wrapped around the boy's wrists. Duo looked up at him questioningly but only got a rather satisfied and lust-glazed smirk in response. Heero kissed Duo again as he tied the shirt tightly around the boy's wrists.

Duo was lost in the ancient vampire's gentle kiss. Firm pliant lips softly caressed his own. The vampire nibbled slightly at his lips then quickly followed with a massaging swipe of the tongue. It was hard to imagine someone so powerful could do something so gentle. Duo could feel himself getting very aroused by the warm soft kiss and Heero groaned when felt Duo pressed against him. The vibrations from the sound against his mouth felt incredible to Duo and he opened his mouth to swallow the lust-inducing sound. He hadn't expected Heero to take the opportunity to slip his tongue into his mouth, but he wasn't really complaining except for his hands tied behind his damn back. He struggled against his confines as he was kissed senseless but to no avail. Heero's tongues gently explored the wet cavern of Duo's mouth running along the boy's teeth then tangling with his tongue. They battled again for dominance over the kiss but it was clear that Heero had the advantage.

Heero's hands roamed freely over Duo's chest and torso with touches so light they were maddening. It was heady to have someone so incredibly strong caressing you so softly. His fingertips craved the vampire's soft skin. He wanted desperately to feel the smooth expanse of lean muscle that was so tantalizingly displayed before him. His hands were itching to roam over that body or maybe burry themselves in that hair just to see how soft the unruly chocolate mass really was. It was driving him nuts."Ah…Heero…ah..ah…untie me!" Heero let out a low chuckle in the boy's ear before his tongue curled around it again sending a wonderful shock of electricity down Duo's spine.

"No, I don't think I will." Then, to punctuate his point, Heero rolled his hips forward experimentally. The loud sharp gasp that ripped from Duo's throat was enough encouragement for him to continue his assault on the boy's sensitive neck. He trailed hot kisses down the boy's throat loving the endless seductive sounds Duo made. He paused to suck a little on the slightly protruding collarbone and stayed for a while when Duo started squirming and giggling. Obviously he had just found a ticklish spot, which he exploited mercilessly.

Duo tried to scoot back on the desk to get away from the tickling but two strong hands gripped onto his hips and effectively held him in place. The devilish smirk on the vampire's face reminded Duo of the first time they had met in the bar when Heero had looked at him like a lion eyeing his prey. Duo tried to free one of his wrists form its soft prison but to no avail. Heero growled in a way that made Duo totally freeze his wiggling, the effect of which had the vampire growling in the first place. It was really hard to focus on his torture of the braided boy when said boy kept struggling against him deliciously. The brief but frequent contact was doing a number on his already sensitive body. Damn, he never had any control when it came to Duo. Things were already progressing much faster than he had intended but he couldn't stop himself. And this was his way of proving to Duo that he owned the vampire's heart and possibly soul if he still had one. Duo was the only one in his heart and he would show the boy that there was no guilt from his past getting in the way this time. He had come to terms with the demons of his past after he had seen Duo's memories and realized that he had to become as strong as the braided boy if he ever wanted to be able to offer him the love he deserved. He had done it, ridded himself of his guilt, and now he was going to show Duo that he was his completely. He was Duo's.

Heero growled again and pressed his lips against Duo's in another searing kiss that made Duo's toes curl. A hot tongue plunged into his mouth repeatedly. Dear God, Heero was having sex with his mouth. Duo felt one of the hands on his hips sneak around to the tail end of his braid and he furrowed his brows wondering what Heero was up to when he heard the tiny _snap_. The next thing he knew he was surrounded by a cascade of his own hair then both of Heero's hands were removed form his hips so they could run through his long tresses. He couldn't help but sigh into Heero's fevered kiss. It felt fantastic to have someone play with his hair. It was also a sign of how much he trusted Heero because no one, and he meant no one, got to touch his hair. He was glad that Heero had. He was surprised that it felt so natural though, like Heero did this to him all the time.

Heero actually smiled when Duo closed his eyes and started making a noise in the back of his throat that sounded oddly like a purr. He snickered and buried his head into the boy's thick chestnut main inhaling deeply. Then, with Duo's legs still wrapped around his hips, he scooped the boy off the desk and carried him carefully over to the beds. Laying the boy down on the bottom bunk he was treated to a sight he knew he would not forget in all the eternities he'd spend on this earth, Duo half naked on his bed with his hair flowing around him like golden silk. Duo's hands were still wrapped together and were now pinned on the bed above the boy's head. The jeans Duo had been wearing wear pulled low on his hips and there was now way in hell Heero was going to be able to stop his hand from tracing a path down the boy's exposed abdomen. He glanced up quickly to Duo's eyes to see if he approved and was struck to his core by the lust-darkened purple gaze that bore through him.

"Duo I want…" He stopped. What did he want? To make Duo his? To selfishly claim the boy? To prove to Duo that there was no one else in his heart? Yes, he wanted all that but he also wanted so much more and he had no idea how he was going to make Duo understand. He had never really wanted anything in the past, not like the way he wanted Duo, and he had no idea how to express such a foreign emotion.

"I know Heero. Now stop thinking about it and just get over here." Duo said in an undeniable come-hither voice that had Heero moving before he realized it. Planting one knee on the bed he swung himself up to straddle the boy of his dreams who smirked devilishly up at him.

"You can hide your thoughts but I've always been better at reading how you feel anyway. And right now I want to you stop thinking about it and show me what you want to say." Heero had to smile, suddenly the roles had switched and Duo had taken the lead. He leaned forward and captured those tempting lips again. How had been able to resist this for so long?

"That was cheesy." He whispered and felt Duo chuckle against his mouth. He used the opportunity to explore Duo's mouth a little further slipping his tongue in and curling it around the other boy's. His hand once again made a trail down the longhaired boy's chest and torso but this time his mouth followed. As his hand fumbled with the buttons on the jeans of the boy writhing beneath him his mouth took a little detour. He took one pink little nub into his mouth and rolled it around with his teeth drawing hisses of pain and pleasure. He then soothed the sensitive flesh with his tongue and was serenaded with sharp gasps and Duo arching into his mouth. He slipped Duo's pants off while he treated the other nipple to the same ministrations.

Duo struggled against his confines whimpering his complaints to the merciless vampire. Heero continued to lap at his chest but let one hand sneak up to untie the T-shirt and released those beautiful tan hands. Instantly they were shoved into his hair and Duo relished in the silky feel of the thick untamable locks. He laced his fingers through the chocolate strands then continued down to run over the muscles in the vampire's back. Heero grained at the sudden contact of silky fingertips running over his heated flesh. He tried to ignore the distracting sensation as he continued to travel down Duo's body. He paused to lick the skin at top of the boy's black boxer shorts before he slipped them off Duo's lithe body. His own pale fingers ghosted across smooth tan thighs until they brushed against something silky smooth and yet hard as steel. He firmly gripped Duo and started slowly pumping loving the way the bartender writhed beneath him panting and muttering unintelligible speech. For Duo, knowing the strength in the hand that now held his most sensitive area was the most erotic thing he could imagine.

Heero gave a few more powerful tugs before he let his hand slip away only to quickly replace it with his mouth. Duo let out a sudden deep guttural moan and unconsciously thrust up into Heero's mouth. The vampire took it and even managed to swirl his tongue a little and soon had Duo quivering beneath him. He wrapped his fingers around the hard length once more and, without pausing in his task, sucked on them too until they were sufficiently wet. He pulled them away and let the digits trail caressingly along the boy's pale inner thigh until he reached his goal. The small tight circle of muscle radiated heat onto his pale fingertips as he massaged and played with it. Duo groaned and thrashed around on the bed, his hands fisted the sheets and Heero's hair successively. He took Duo's full length into his mouth as he slipped one pale finger into the boy's opening. Duo squirmed but was sufficiently distracted by Heero's mouth doing delicious things to him. The digit wiggled around inside him and was soon joined by another that continued the erotic dance.

Heero focused on taking as much of Duo into his mouth as he could while he stretched the boy's body. He was a little frightened by how tight Duo was but at the same time a more primal part of him was excited by it. He continued stretching and playing with the longhaired man until Duo was arched and writhing with his touch. He sensed the boy's release approaching but he was afraid to go further. He didn't want to hurt the boy he loved but dear lord he didn't want to stop either.

"Heero…stop…" He held his breath, if Duo wanted it to stop then somehow he would manage it.

"I'm ready…stop teasing." Heero couldn't stop the desperate groan that escaped his lips. There was nothing in hell that could stop him from having Duo right then. Duo moaned his displeasure at the sudden removal of Heero's mouth and fingers from his body but stopped when he saw Heero fumbling with his own pants. Heero leaned over the boy once again capturing those swollen lips with his as he pressed himself against the boy's opening. Duo's cries were muffled by Heero's mouth covering his and were filled with a mixture of pain and pleasure. Heero slid into Duo inch by inch and was engulfed in something so tight and hot that it blew his mind. He could have sworn he saw stars by the time he was fully sheathed within the boy. It was an incredible feeling to be buried deep inside another's body, to merge so completely with the one you love.

He paused and just stayed where he was when he noticed Duo was trembling in his arms. He stroked Duo's hair and waited for him to adjust placing soft kisses on the boy's forehead. He was surprised when a pair of shaking legs rapped around his waist and drove him even further into the tight heat. That's when Duo moaned loud enough to wake the neighbors and Heero new he had hit that special spot deep within the boy's body. He drew himself out of that hot ring slowly and gently pushed back in feeling the muscles surrounding him tighten reflexively. Heero groaned at the new sensation of filling Duo's body. He wasn't going to last long with this incredible sensation and Duo's moaning going straight to his arousal. He pulled himself out again and this time he threw his hips forward thrusting into Duo's body.

"Heero!" Erupted from Duo's lips drenched with passion and pleasure. Not a hint of pain anywhere and it was like the floodgates broke. Heero rolled his hips forward then back out with repeated short powerful thrusts. Duo cried out and grasped at Heero's shoulder almost painfully. Heero grunted and angled himself and aimed for that sensitive patch of nerves he knew was there. His thrusts became deeper and faster until he Duo shot up moaning and screaming his name and he knew he had found what he was looking for. He took his time with deep powerful thrusts careful to hit that spot every time.

"Heero…" Duo half moaned and half whined his name in his ear. Heero looked into those dark purple-hued eyes and understood what the boy wanted. The thought of Duo actually asking for it nearly sent him over the edge right then. Duo leaned up and tilted his head to the side exposing his lightly tanned neck. Heero groaned and let his teeth extend, running them caressingly along the chorded muscle pausing only to lick right in the crook of the boy's neck. For the first time in his life without any guilt or hesitation he sunk his aching fangs into the boy's pliant flesh. He was instantly washed over with the amazing taste of Duo and an overwhelming feeling of completeness, which he understood to be what Duo was feeling at that exact moment. After that he couldn't hold back. His hips flew forward in quick powerful thrusts that made Duo's already harsh breath come out as a ragged jumble of moans and pleas.

The body beneath him quaked and Heero felt the white hot burn of release coiling within him like swirling molten lava. His veins felt like they were on fire and yet his body seemed to go numb. All he could feel was the body beneath him, the heat that enveloped him which was squeezing reflexively with Duo's eminent release. Then suddenly the world narrowed to nothing but sensation and he pulled his fangs away from Duo's neck in a silent scream of pleasure as Duo reached his climax and the muscles around him became so tight it was almost painful. Only a few thrusts in that tight incredible heat and Heero followed with his own release. Stars erupted before his eyes and for a second he actually felt like he actually had to take the gasping breath that poured from his lips. He pulled himself out of his beautiful lover before letting his sweat soaked body collapse on the boy. Their breaths mingled in an unspoken understanding that they had just sealed eternity together. They barely managed to pull their underwear back on before the curled up together and practically passed out in the deepest sleep Heero had ever known alive or dead…er undead.

Duo slept like a rock until an hour before dawn broke when he woke up for apparently no reason at all. It took him a minute to notice that he was the only one in the bed so Heero was missing somewhere but that wasn't what frightened him. What really scared the hell out of him was the pair of pale icy-blue eyes staring at him from across the room and wheat blonde hair that fluttered in front of his face. Unfortunately, before he could he could scream for Heero he was rather rudely knocked unconscious.

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So that was that. Pure smut, but relevant no less and you'll see why next chapter. Hopefully it will be out sooner than my past few chapters. I also started a quick little holiday story that distracted me but I didn't finish in time. I may still post it as a winter fic just cuz it's short and kinda cute. Well that's all for now, I love you all. **renanimeangel, shad0w118, ravel queen **( you're awesome I love you), **Dark Devotions **(love you a bunch too)**, Pandora-chan, redrose2310, kirallie, jesseklom **(I love you lots), **DG a.k.a Demon Gurl, SchwarzViolet, na, GaiazHeart, Akito-kun, foxy-comic-death **( you know how much I love you)**, Luciferan **( I love you too)**, T.K Yurikoto, Shakespeares Whore, spirit-gun, Mako, kiya, Sailor Sayuri, JinLucifer, December Jewel, MikosWisk, Souls02 **(you're super awesome I love you), **gimme, chixOr neko **(you know how cool you are and much I love you), **Patricia Duckwell, lo **(reviewed like every chapter. Thank you so much), **Red, and Aryam.**

I'm so sorry if I forgot anyone who reviewed the last chapter. Tell me and I will thank you next chapter I promise. The extra loves went out to names that I recognize who have been around since the beginning. I know I've been a bad author who's horrible at updating so I felt they deserved extra for putting up with me for so long. If you feel like you've been cheated of some love just know that I love you too it's these names just stand out in my mindas putting up with from my earliest posts and even from earlier stories. But I love you all and I will update as soon as I can. We're almost done, what will I do!


	11. And In the Dawn We Bleed

Well, this took forever and a day to get out and just to warn you. It's short and disjointed and confusing. I could only write small bits at a time so it was hard to ever get a real flow going. But I had to post something just so people didn't think that I was giving up on it. I did get a new job and I might be moving pretty soon for the first time so life's getting a little crazy for me and I don't have very much time to write. But I promised when I started writing this that I would finish it and I will. It just might take me a while.

* * *

The Cursed No More 

And in the Dawn We Bleed

Heero turned down yet another dim corridor in pursuit of Duo Maxwell but still the boy eluded him. He couldn't figure out Duo's new little game, a glimpse of a braid as it turned a corner, a hint of a deep laugh somewhere down the hall. Duo was leading him in circles and he had no idea why. He also couldn't figure out why he was playing along with the silly game and at such an ungodly hour. Why didn't he just call out to the longhaired man? It was like he was unnaturally compelled to follow the boy in circles. He couldn't understand why he never seemed to gain on the young man either. Every time he turned down one corridor Duo had already vanished around the next. It was maddening and very unlike himself to play along. Was it Duo's influence that he now was willing to engage in frivolous activities? Was it the boy's blood in his veins affecting his behavior again? It had happened before, but this felt different. He felt the usual accompaniment of strength and heightened senses that came with indulging himself in Duo, but at the same time he felt odder than usual. He felt like he was floating in some kind of dream state, like his mind couldn't fully grasp onto any one solid thought. Everything seemed so surreal and yet at the same time something in his mind demanded that this was not a dream. It was true that he could feel the carpet beneath his feet and smell the usual aromas of the dormitory hallways. Smoke and bile, he really didn't need this at four o'clock in the morning.

There was something very odd about all this. Despite the way Duo made himself appear to most people, he did not actually absorb himself in frivolous things. Like a game that had them going around dorm halls in circles at all hours of the night. This actually seemed highly unlikely of Duo and not just for the fact that boy would have had to have woken up at four.

Another corner, another glimpse of braid, another daring chuckle. How long had this loop been going? Why wasn't he getting anywhere? Nothing added up. It couldn't be real, it wasn't a dream, but it couldn't be real. He was trapped, but where and how? He stopped in the middle of the hallway. If he stood there long enough Duo would get tired of waiting for him and come back. Something in him tried to force his legs to go forward, a voice in his mind that sounded like his own was growing louder and demanding pursuit. He refused, he would wait for Duo to come to him. He was tired of games, hadn't he told Duo that the first time they met? Hadn't Duo agreed? The boy had never played games with him before, yes he goofed around and joked but underneath it all was a very serious boy with a haunting past. Underneath it all Duo was just like him, and he would never play like this.

All at once it seemed entirely ridiculous of him to be debating a simple little game of chase as though it were life-changing dilemma. But it had been important just a moment ago. Hadn't it? It had meant something to him that he force Duo to stop playing. It had been important that he see the boy's face. Why? He couldn't remember now. This was wrong, this was all so wrong and he had no idea why. He looked up and saw that braid once again whip around the corner he was facing and a laugh jingled not too far away. Maybe he could catch him this time if he sprinted?

No, Duo was going to come to him. He's had enough of this. He stood his ground and stared hard at the corner where Duo had just disappeared and then it hit him. How could Duo have just gone around that corner when he had been standing in the middle of the hallway the entire time? Wouldn't he have seen Duo pass by him? It wasn't real, none of this was real. What the hell was going on?

Someone had gotten into his mind. A vampire must have used an illusion on him, but how was that possible. The only vampire that could possibly be strong enough for it to work would be… Reality around him shattered, it was hard to tell but Heero knew that what had grasped his mind was gone now. He was still standing in the middle of the hallway but he no longer had the urge to run down it and chase after Duo. He knew he wouldn't find the boy because he knew Duo wasn't in the corridors. All at once it him, like being slammed into a brick wall made of ice-cold water. His body trembled with the presence that overwhelmed his senses. In an instant he understood, he knew why he had been sent on this fruitless chase, he knew what waited for him back in the room, he knew where Duo was.

"Duo!" He couldn't control the sudden outburst as he used all his inhuman speed to flash back to the room he shared with the beautiful boy. The presence he felt had increased tenfold and his hand shook visibly as he reached for the knob. He opened the door slowly and prepared himself for what awaited him. No matter what he would not let him take Duo, he would not lose the one he loved again to this man. No, it was not a man that he faced now. There was no humanity left in him.

What his blue eyes saw when he opened the door had him gasping for air that he did not need. Indeed the legendary Vampire King had returned but Heero had not expected to see the frail blonde girl clutching a very limp Duo. Oh God! His mind screamed but he quickly reminded himself that Duo couldn't die as long as he himself lived. It was little consolation to him however as he watched the honey blonde girl stroke the bangs out of Duo's eyes.

"Don't touch him!" He screamed and the girl jolted, almost dropping Duo to the floor. Beside her a tall figure with long flowing blonde hair that was much brighter than the girl's slowly turned away from the window toward the distressed vampire. A sickening leer crept across his features and his piercing blue eyes sparkled at the outburst.

"Heero, you broke my little enchantment much quicker than I expected." A deep but smooth voice filled the room, coating it in a fake sugary glaze. His smile widened by just a fraction at the disgust that flickered across the smaller man's handsome face. Heero's eyes darted down to the trinket the man clutched in his right hand. It was a small necklace with a little carved crystal cross. He had seen it around Duo's neck every once in a while but the braided boy mostly kept it hidden under his shirts. Odd, he could have sworn the stone as white, but now it almost looked purple. Why was the ancient vampire holding it? As if sensing his thought, or perhaps just following his gaze, the blonde man held the item out for Heero's inspection.

"A rather clever idea of mine." The man commented languidly and looked over at the unconscious form of Duo lying in the girl's arms.

"You had no idea what you've found, do you Heero? You have no clue what you've unwittingly bonded to yourself." He bit out the word bonded like it tasted bad in his mouth. Heero became even more nervous for Duo, if that were possible. He new of this man's jealous rage and e was certain that nothing would make him more jealous than the fact that someone had bonded with what he considered his. The blonde had tried many times to bond with Heero, unsuccessfully. To have another succeed where he had failed would be maddening to him.

"Dilluvia." Heero ground out the name with as much poison as he could put into those few syllables.

"Now, now. What's with all this Dilluvia business?" The blonde's grin suddenly turned harsh and his eyes flashed a quick silver. "You know how I despise the name those science freaks gave me."

"Zechs, give him to me. He's bound to me you cannot touch him anyway." Heero took two steps into the room and the blonde's smile was already back to that disturbing sugary grin.

"But you see that was the genius of my plan. And tonight your little consummation would have completed it. Unfortunately, you must have been a little hasty and this came off with his clothes." Zechs eyed the trinket like it had betrayed him somehow.

"It's no matter, I've brought Relena with me and as you can see she has no problem touching him. In fact I think she likes him. Do not fear though, no one could take your place in her heart." Heero looked down and found cornflower blue eyes shimmering up at him. He had always felt sorry for the girl, she had developed a crush on him but he could ever return her feelings. They were just too alike and yet far too different. They shared personality traits like stubbornness and a bit of arrogance, which did not bode well for a good relationship. Yet they also had nothing in common and their views about almost everything differed. She was rich and spoiled and although she tried to act like she was mature she really was just a little girl living in a fantasy. He knew that she never loved him, just the idea of the handsome young samurai waiting to sweep her off her feet. After the murder of her father she had wilted into the creature that stooped before him now. Her stubborn will completely destroyed she did whatever her brother told her. Zechs had used the young girl's feelings to get what he wanted from Heero. All the time he claimed that he had made him a vampire because his sister would live forever and he wanted her one true love to live on with her. In truth Zechs had wanted him for himself and after the first failed attempt at bonding he too, just like his sister, he realized that he would never have the boy's heart. But that hadn't stopped from continuing to try.

"Relena." The name was out of lips before he could stop it. The pitiful girl was staring up at him like he was her savior. His eyes darted over to the unconscious bundle she held in her arms. He would feel guilty about it later but anything was worth Duo's safety. He would have to use the girl's feelings for him to get Duo away from her. There wasn't much of a soul left in her anyway after being her brother's puppet for so many centuries. Zechs had always used the girl's crush to get her to do his bidding, promising her that she could have Heero when everything was finished. But he knew better, Zechs had always wanted the vampire prince for himself.

"Yes I brought my little sister along. I figured it would be good to get her out of the mirrors." Zechs' grin took on that dark edge once again. "You know she's always been here, right? She never left."

"But I saw her vanish with you." Heero sputtered for a second. Damn Dilluvia for getting him off guard. His eyes narrowed and his focus returned to Duo's body lying in Relena's pale arms. He would have to be more careful, he couldn't afford to slip up around this guy. It could mean his, or more importantly, Duo's life.

"Yes, that's true. She did disappear, but not to the same place I did. We set you up to believe that she had gone with me but you forgot something Heero. Only I have the philosopher's stone inside me so only I can truly use it's brother." Once again he dangled the purple cross for Heero to see. The one that looked to be carved from a crystal, the one that Duo had been wearing.

"How the hell did you give that thing to Duo? _Why_ the hell would you give it to him?" A deep bone-chilling laugh echoed off the walls and Heero did his best to suppress his shiver. He hated that laugh.

"All part of my genius little plan. Shall I tell you? Yes, you should know what I have planned for your lover boy." Zechs eyed Duo with a malicious gleam while Heero glared Death at the ancient devil.

"Relena was never meant to go with me into nothingness. She stayed here, waiting for my return. You see I always planned to come back, but I had to wait for you to be ready. I've always wanted you, Heero." The blonde stalked over towards him and Heero found his body paralyzed.

'Wait a second,' he thought with sudden panic as he tried to move his frozen limbs, 'I really am paralyzed, shit.' He had forgotten the strength in the ancient vampire. He hadn't had to worry about a paralysis curse working on him in a very long time, and now it had cost him greatly. He struggled doubly hard when the blonde reached out and ran one long pale finger down the side of his face.

"Heero, you've always denied yourself as a vampire. Hated the ways of our kind and what you knew you had to do to survive. I knew it would take you a long time before you accepted your fate and I knew you couldn't accept me until you had. And you know how impatient I am." The blonde continued stroking him as he spoke. Heero cringed at the feel of those ancient hands on his skin they made his stomach churn in sickening knots.

"So I put myself into a bit of a sleep so that when I awoke it would feel like no time had past at all. There was one condition though and it all depended on you, Heero." The dark haired vampire glared hard and his eyes flashed silver in a moment of repulsion. He found the sudden urge to wipe that smarmy grin off the blonde's face so strong that he was actually able to move his arms a little even under the binding curse. Zechs' face flashed an almost nervous frown but it was quickly gone when Heero obviously couldn't move anymore.

"I do marvel at your new strength, love. It was an unexpected development. But no matter, I created you and will always be stronger than you." Zechs' hand left his face and began to travel south. Heero growled viciously at the disturbingly bold hand. The blonde laughed in his bone chilling way and continued to run his knuckles lightly over Heero's torso.

"You were there that night, it was critical that you be there. Do you remember what I told you was necessary for the whole thing to work?" Heero didn't want to respond. It felt like dirt in his mouth to actually speak to this vile man. Zechs looked amused at Heero's stubborn silence but also stayed silent. He not only outclassed the boy in strength, but in stubborn will as well. Not to mention, he didn't have an unconscious lover lying in the hands of his enemy. When had he and Heero become enemies? He supposed they had always been and both of them had known it. They just never said it aloud. It was strange that even now they were still dancing around each other.

He would make Heero his, he would take away his love and claim the vamp in his distraught state. The boy's willingness really didn't play into the equation at all. Before he had vanished he'd told Relena to seek out someone close to the vampire prince to bestow the stone upon, but a lover, that had been a bit of a shock. Really, Heero falling in love, he hadn't seen that one coming. However, it had turned out to be most useful. He watched as Heero's eyes darted to the unconscious boy repeatedly and Zechs knew he had already won.

"My blood. You said you needed my blood because I was your first creation." Heero spat out venomously and the taller man smiled. He had always loved Heero's temper.

"Yes, and that was a lie." Zechs' smile widened. "Since Relena wasn't really a vampire, just bound to me, she still had a soul that was untainted by the curse and wouldn't be taken to where I was going. I actually needed your blood for a binding spell that would keep her soul in this world and able to track you through the mirrors." Heero frowned and his eyes flashed down to the girl, once again filled with pity. It was hard to believe that there was a soul left in there.

"She watched and waited for the perfect opportunity to get to you. She waited for hundreds of years while you kept yourself fairly isolated. She thought that she had found someone when you met that little blonde, but it soon became clear that you would never get as close to him as we needed." Zechs' face came close, so close that Heero expected to feel breath on his cheek but Zechs didn't breath out of habit like he did. He could, however, smell the bitter tang of blood when the blonde opened his mouth to speak. Obviously the vampire king had already taken a victim tonight, possible more than one. The man had never had much control when it came to satisfying his carnal desires.

"You see Heero, my love, the key to my return depended on you being very close to someone. Closer than you've ever been since you became immortal." The blonde's grin curled devilishly. "Remember that I said there was a condition to my return, well I was only to return when you had drank blood from another living creature and felt no guilt. That's always been my fantasy, Heero, for you to enjoy sucking the life out of pathetic humans as much as I do." Heero was glaring so hard at Zechs' that even the vampire king himself couldn't the shiver that frozen blue gaze caused.

"Well, it seems you're not quite ready yet and I do believe that it has something to do with this mortal. I can see it in your eyes, smell it on your skin, and sense it in your veins. You're in love with him but I can take care of that easily enough." Zechs paced the room until he stood just behind his sister then ever so slowly he leaned over her and took her hand so that he could trail one of her finger down Duo's face.

The sight of that sickening soulless creature being anywhere near his Duo made Heero want to throw up. This was the man who had tried to molest him repeatedly, tried to seduce him into bed, had tricked him into entering the man's house then took away his soul and any possibility of a happily fulfilled life. And now he was going to do something to get to him again and it was going to involve Duo. His beautiful Duo who had never done anything but accept him, and try to help him and eventually even love him. No, dear God, he could not let anything happen to his Duo. He would not be the cause of another person's death. And there was no way in Hell He was going to lose the person he loved. And he had never loved in the way he loved Duo.

Zechs watched in wide-eyed wonderment as Heero began to fight his way through paralysis charm placed on him and was actually able to take one full step towards the blonde vampire. For the first time that night the sickening grin was completely dropped from the blonde vampire's face.

"Oh no you don't." The blonde's voice was low and dangerous and he sent a powerful wave of energy straight at Heero flinging the dark haired vamp across the room until he slammed into a wall and crumpled to the floor. Despite this Heero still fought the curses placed on him and somehow, using strength he didn't now he had, he was able to lift himself from the floor and began walking again. He had managed a full three steps before he realized he was now the only one in the room. A few moments later and he knew Zechs had gone very far away because his paralysis was suddenly lifted. He ran to the window in rage filled moment of distress, he knew that the blonde was far away and that he wouldn't be able to spot him but his mind was so shocked by what had just happened that it was having a hard time thinking rationally. The night air was calm though, and there wasn't even a hint of the blond vampire king. Something bubbled up inside him, right up into his throat, then it spilled out as a horrifying scream into the night air. Birds took flight from nearby trees, two people stopped and looked up, he just couldn't take it that it was so calm looking outside when he was a raging storm on the inside. He let out one last blood-curdling yell through his open window before the door suddenly burst open.

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Yep, that's all I have for now, but I promise that there will be another chapter. I can't say when it will be up but it will be. Thank you so much to everyone who continues to read this story despite my lousy updating and my occasionally (or maybe always) jibberish writing style. I love you all and you make my day just know that you in some way like this little baby of mine. I love you guys! 


	12. No One Bleeds in Paradise

Hello Everyone. I've written very little but I still want to finish this one. I can't believe how much my writing skill (er... go with me here) has degraded over the time. Granted, I was never a master but this is pretty sad. I couldn't even bring myself to read it over so be prepared for more grammar and spelling mistakes than ever before. Yay. But here's a short chapter just let everyone know that this story enters my mind every once in a while and if I had a working computer I would be writing all the time. Thank you every one who reads this and everyone who's read in the past. You all have made my time on this website very memorable.

Love and Poptarts :)

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The Cursed No More

No One Bleeds in Paradise

Heero's face turned cold, his fists gripped into his palms at his side as he stared out the window into the night. The most terrifying creature in the world, something that should only exist in the worst nightmares, had just kidnapped and flown away with the man he had recently admitted to being the great love of his life. He had never before felt like this, it was like more than half of him had just been ripped out and left in its place was a hot angry empty space. His head felt like his brain was trying to crawl out through his eyes sockets and there was this odd stinging right at the back of his pupil. He never even heard Quatre come storming into the room.

"Heero I got here as fast as I could. Did I really sense what I thought?" There was no response from the vampire prince just a dark silhouette against an even darker night sky.

"Then he really is here. What are we going to do Heero we can't just let him roam free?" Quatre's voice flitted through the dark fog that had clouded the vampire's head. He turned to face his long time friend, but he had no answers for him. He didn't know what to do. For the first time in his extremely long life Heero Yuy had absolutely no idea what he was going to do.

"Heero, are you crying?" The vampire lifted a hand to his face and felt a little dampness at the corner of his eyes. It wasn't exactly tears streaming down his face but it was more than Heero had ever cried in his existence. He was puzzled but Quatre's next question nearly made him start all over again.

"Where's Duo?" And the look on the vampire's face answered everything for him.

"Oh dear God, we have to get him back." Quatre felt his chest tighten uncontrollably.

"I don't know where they've gone." Heero stated, his usual monotone slightly broken.

"Well then, use your vampire power shit. You have to sense them Heero! We have to get him back." Heero just hung his head in defeat.

"I can't. Don't you understand I can't. Dilluvia's stronger than I am, as much as it pains me to admit it, and he's put a block around himself." Quatre eyed the vampire like he was an idiot.

"Then sense Duo! You're bonded to him aren't you? Nothing Dilluvia can do could hide that. It's too deep, he won't be able to touch it." A spark of life flashed in those deep blue eyes. He had forgotten that the bond kept him connected to Duo in a way that Dilluvia could never understand because he had never loved anyone but himself. He closed his eyes and let the more ancient parts of his soul reach out into the night. It flowed over streets and people but they didn't matter. It looped around buildings and headed out to sea. There, it was faint, just a blip of violet light brushed against his soul but it was enough. At least he knew Duo was alive and was somewhere west toward the ocean. His eyes snapped open to a very hopeful looking Quatre and a very worried Trowa running into his room.

"Quatre, Heero, is it true?" The tallest boy asked as he slammed the door shut behind his hasty entrance.

"Yes." Heero responded then launched himself up onto the windowsill with a quick unnatural jump.

"Where are you going Heero?" Quatre asked, more out of habit than anything, he knew exactly where the vampire was going.

"He's to the west, near water. I'm going to get him." A slender arm on his shoulder stopped him in his rushed pursuit.

"He'll be at the Canneries. The abandoned warehouses on the docks, Wufei's been getting some disturbing reports coming from down there." Heero nodded, but Trowa shook his head.

"You're not fighting this one alone Heero. The last time you fought Dilluvia on your own you ended up nearly being sucked up into nothingness along with him." Heero glared but Trowa stood firm.

"He never wanted me to. His plan was to keep me here the entire time until my humanity was completely lost and I embraced the life of the vampire. He used ancient magics and the fucking soul of his own sister to do it, but now he's back and if I don't do something I'm going to lose Duo. So forgive me, but alone or not I have to find him now." Heero ended his speech by leaping out of the window and gracefully landing on the roof next to him. The second his foot touched the next rooftop he was gone with a speed unmatchable in this world.

"So you got a hold of Wufei?" Quatre asked, his blue eyes still full of concern. This was not going to be easy even with all the help they could get.

"Yeah, when you ran out of the room screaming about that monster's return I called him immediately. Despite wanting to chase after you." Trowa's tone was mildly scornful but he understood the blonde's panicked dash. After all, he had been right about the evil man going straight for Heero. But that didn't stop the fact that Trowa had worried himself sick about his blonde coming face to face with Dilluvia.

"Sorry…" Quatre's sentence died when Trowa kissed him desperately. The taller boy just needed a little more reassurance that his love was indeed unharmed. He broke away after a few brief moments. Now was not the time.

"Wufei said he'd gather everyone he knew. All the hunters across the city are going to be there in a few minutes and all of them in the state will be there in an hour. Plus he's got a lot of contacts with vampires who would never want to see Dilluvia's return. They'll all be there ready to fight. Heero won't have to face this alone." Trowa's words were reassuring but it didn't mean that fear wasn't settling into the both of them for the long night ahead.

"I hope it will be enough. There are those out there who have been waiting for his return, powerful vampires who are sick of hiding in the shadows and want some kind of rule over humans." Quatre chewed his bottom lip, a nervous habit that Trowa found endearing, but right now he couldn't much think about that without it bringing up the horrible thought that after tonight he may never see his blonde again. But he had to push his fear side because right now they had to get to the docks and help Heero.

When Heero finally arrived at his destination it wasn't hard to spot where the ancient bloodsucker was hiding. The darkness seemed to seep up out of the ocean itself and down from the night sky. Everything was drenched in shadow and the stench of freshly spilt blood was so thick it clotted in his throat. Just a few hundred yards from where he stood an enormous battle was already in full swing. From Heero's vantage point on the rooftop he could see vampires attacking each other with enough ferocity to kill and yet it seemed like nobody was dying. The speed of the battle was unnatural but Heero's piercing blue eyes tracked every movement. Every flash of throat, every bared fang, every curse muttered, was caught in his glowing eyes. Vampires were thrown across great distances as multiple curses hit them. Some dropped to the floor, their bodies bound by an invisible force. It was mostly physical attacks, the drive of battle forcing out all rational thought so that basic instinct was all that remained and the result was gruesome. Eyes were being scratched out, necks and wrists or any other vital point on the body, were being chewed through by bloodstained pairs of unnatural teeth. Heero felt his own fangs spasm in response and lower at the sight and smell of all that blood. He knew it would be hard to resist joining the battle outside and taking a little taste for himself, but he had lasted this long without taking another's life and he only sought one tonight. He would fight the urge to feed and he would battle only those who stood in his way of getting to Dilluvia. Still, this would not be easy. He really wished he had brought something with him, some kind of weapon or protection. He had so many why didn't he think of it before he left?

He took a step off of the roof, his last safe place, and floated unnaturally down to the ground below. The second his foot hit the ground his senses were on fire. He could hear the mutterings of the vampires in battle and smell the mix of their sweat and blood. Hell, he could even taste it in the air. All around him time seemed to slow as he walked towards what he was sure was to be his final battle. He moved forward with a deliberate pace and Death licking at his heels. He was close enough now that he could touch the vampires locked in battle but none seemed to see him. Then the dream was broken and the whole world shattered into deafening noise and time sped up before his eyes.

It was a low-level grunt vamp that attacked him first and a simple swipe of his nails across the man's neck sent him screaming into the shadows. His eyes flashed silver and stayed that way. His head lowered as a woman ran at him whispering curses as she flung herself in his direction. He roared at her as he unleashed a powerful and invisible shield that he had learned from the ancient texts. Not many knew the magic he did and the pure force of it threw her back. Her spells ricocheted back onto her and she screamed as her body twisted and cracked then finally caved in on itself. He watched her gruesome death with little more than a sneer on his face before he was attacked from behind. A young blonde man had snuck up and grasped him around the neck. A growl rumbled low in Heero's chest and he sent a kick out straight behind him. The heel of his sneaker sunk deep into the man's stomach and the hands dropped from around his neck. This was starting to take too long and Heero was beginning to panic for Duo's safety. He dropped to the ground and roundhouse kicked the man's shins forcing him to fall to the ground hard. The kid rolled over and puked but it was mostly blood. Heero wrapped his hand around his face and began to apply magic force to the man's brain with the intent of imploding it.

"What side are you on?" He asked. He wasn't sure but somehow he knew that everyone out there could sense who was on which side. He felt so strongly that this man was his enemy but he wanted to make sure that what he was feeling wasn't some trick from Dilluvia. If Dilluvia was doing it then chances are everyone who was dying was on his side and they were just killing each other. It was something the ancient vamp would do if he knew how.

"I asked you a question." Heero snarled and applied a little more pressure. The man continued to pretend that the pain was too great to answer. Heero decided to just kill him and cut his losses. He had to get to Duo before it was too late. Sensing Heero's rush and the end of his life approaching the vamp looked straight into Heero's eyes and spit.

"When this is over we will never have to hide like vermin from those filthy humans again. Fucking apes deserve to …" Heero cut him off and let the energy in his palm rip through the man's head. Wiping the spit off his hand he stood to face his next opponent when he saw that somehow he had ended up next to Treize.

"When did you get here?" The taller vamp asked and Heero smirked.

"I've always been here." Treize rolled his eyes as he sent another grunt vamp realing with a swipe of his sword.

"I meant to the battle, not the century, you ancient asshole." Treize grinned as Heero kicked a man in the face and spun the vamp directly onto his sword.

"Not long, but I need to get inside quickly." Heero sent another blast of energy at a large group of vamps and rendered most of them paralyzed.

"Nice shot." The shout cam from just a few feet away but who ever had said it had to yell over the sudden increase in noise. The battle had just exploded into a chaotic blur that Heero couldn't comprehend, but he knew that voice.

Wufei and an army of Hunters had just arrived to battle. Flashes of bright gold and blue shot from their unusual weapons as they blasted their way through vicious angry vamps. Wufei led it all with his enormous gun in front of him taking out one of the opposing vampires with every shot. He threw grenades that burst with something like sunlight when they hit the ground. Even Heero had to shield his eyes from it but when he looked up again Wufei was already heading over and clearing a path for him to get inside.

"You still trying to kill me Hunter?" Heero asked as Wufei took a wild shot somewhere behind Heero's head.

"You know the whole world doesn't revolve around you blood-breath. Now are you going to go save him or do I have to do that too?"


End file.
